


The Flame and the Dragon

by CrystalGirl259



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Lego Ninjago
Genre: Beauty and the Beast Elements, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, DarkThinkingshipping, F/F, M/M, Parody, Steampunkshipping - Freeform, Violentshipping, lavashipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:42:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 43,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29760510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalGirl259/pseuds/CrystalGirl259
Summary: Ever since his parents died Kai promised himself he would do anything to protect his sister Nya and his adopted brother Lloyd. Even if it meant sacrificing his life, his freedom, and his dreams of escaping their pedestrian rural life and the unwanted lust of the Duke to save them from life imprisonment at the hands of the vicious dragon lord...
Relationships: Cole/Kai (Ninjago), Echo Zane & Zane (Ninjago), Echo Zane/Jay Walker, Harumi/Ultra Violet (Ninjago), Kai & Nya (Ninjago), Kai/Morro (Ninjago), Lloyd Garmadon & Kai, Neuro/Shade (Ninjago)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	1. The Legend of the Dragon Lord

It was many a year ago, at least by mortal reckoning when a proud and magnificent family ruled the lands from a shining castle of marble and stone. They were both fierce and protective, yet kind and loyal and fair. Their reign was a golden age and the people were eternally grateful to them. It wasn't always like this, however. The royal family had been faced with many foes over the years. The most fierce and dangerous of the enemies came from within their own castle.

The royal family had always had a royal sorcerer to protect and entertain them, but one day, the sorcerer's young, orphan apprentice found him experimenting with dark magic.

He had been planning on overthrowing the royal family for years. The apprentice immediately went to inform the King. The sorcerer was promptly exiled to the farthest mountains and his family name banished from the realm. For her heroic actions, the royal family adopted the apprentice. The townspeople and the country flourished under the peaceful and prosperous reign of the King, Queen, and their son and adopted daughter. The King, known throughout the land as Lou, though had eccentric and unorthodox manners of ruling the kingdom, was an exceptionally good King.

His wife Lily was his equal in every way, an eccentric warrior whose strong spirit and golden heart could not be tamed.

Both loved their people and made the fact known both within and outside the walls of the castle. Many of the castle's servants were wards of the king and queen who were given jobs and treated as if they were their own flesh and blood. But the most beloved of all the royal family was the only son. He was truly a handsome man both externally and within. A proud and stubborn man but with a will as strong as a dragon and a heart brighter than gold, eyes as beautiful and green as a stunning emerald.

Though it was uncommon in that day and age, the royals spent as much time among their citizens as they could.

Even their adopted daughter was loved among them. Among his people, the prince was kind and fair, and among the servants, each one was like a younger sibling to him, but when the people were in danger he defended them with the ferocity and power of a dragon, earning him a nickname. The Dragon Lord. The people loved their rulers and their rulers loved their people, but the dark destiny of all kingdoms would soon doom this peaceful paradise.

Deep in the mountains, the exiled sorcerer swore vengeance upon the royal family for their betrayal and his own thirst for the crown.

Yet above all he despised the prince. Most people believed he hated the prince was because he was jealous and believed the throne that should be his. However, that was only a small part of it. In truth, he envied the prince with all his soul. He hated how the people loved and respected him, how everyone idolized the Dragon Lord instead of him. He hated how the prince commanded the love, respect, and attention of everyone who laid eyes on him without even trying.

But he'd had to perform complex and difficult magical spells to demand their love.

He hated how, while he'd had to struggle and work for every little thing his entire life, the people simply gave the Dragon Lord their love on a silver platter. Yet the prince did nothing with it. Even if the King and Queen were the true rulers, the exiled sorcerer knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was the Dragon Lord who had the kingdom's love and respect. He vowed one day to return and rip away everything the Prince loved and treasured so deeply.

He wanted to do it in the most malicious and unforgiving manner he could concoct.

Banished to the darkest shadows and forced to live a solitary existence of seclusion, his bitterness festered until it consumed his soul. Finally, after years of training in the dark arts, his bitterness, jealousy, and rage transformed him into a more powerful sorcerer. His dark heart had all but consumed him. One dark day, after all, but signing away his soul to the darkness, he unlocked the dark, unforgiving arts of the Cursed Realm. The darkness consumed him, making him a prisoner of his own power yet affording him the ability to control some of the darkest magic.

Only one thing burned within his poisoned mind now.

His never-ending lust for vengeance...

* * *

It was a day that should've been a day of great celebration. The Prince's coronation on his 21st birthday, the day he became a man, and the day he would be no longer known as the Dragon Lord, but the King. It was on this day that everything changed. The sorcerer, wearing a mask of glamour to hide his black hair and the wickedness in his eyes with an appearance more commonly seen among the people attended the new king's majesty with a terrible plan.

He was going to make the new king and his family suffer for their crimes against his person.

Only after everyone else had presented their gifts and their best wishes and promises to their beloved prince and soon-to-be king, Lou stood from his throne, holding in his hands a magnificently sculpted crown in the shape of a majestic silver dragon with eyes of emerald and powerful onyx wings. Just as the former king was about to crown his son, the Sorcerer stepped forward and spoke his impossible demands. He commanded that the Dragon Lord relinquish his crown and his throne to him or great doom would befall them all.

He cast aside his glamour as he spoke, eliciting a scream of terror from his former apprentice who was the first to recognize him, and gasps of shock and fear from the townspeople whom he had terrorized.

Naturally, the prince refused, claiming nothing would convince him to relinquish his throne and the lives of his people and loved ones to a madman. He did not fear death or enchantment. The sorcerer's eyes narrowed at the defiant family of royals before a smile struck his face; a smile that sent a shiver of fear down the spines of everyone present, chilling everyone in the room to the bone. Even as the royal guards attacked and the people rushed to escape, the Sorcerer's wicked eyes turned black as shadows and dark purple energy flooded his body like a wispy ghost.

Finally, the sorcerer unleashed a deadly wave of black magic, consuming the entire throne room.

While the townspeople had already escaped, the servants and those loyal to their royals refused to leave and screamed in anguish and fear as their very essences warped to that of the dark master's sick desires. The sorcerer's dark magic ensnared the royals, and all except for the Dragon Lord's vanished before the young king's horrified eyes. But the Sorcerer refused to reveal to the devastated Dragon Lord what had become of his parents and adopted sister.

He then invoked the magic of the Cursed Realm and placed a terrible curse upon the castle and a deadly spell upon the kingdom and all who lived there.

Proclaiming doom on the royal family and all who served them, friends and servants alike, the servants and wards of the castle were stripped of their physical forms and were warped into new ones for their loyalty, ones of creatures from the realm of fantasy. As for the prince himself, the Sorcerer wanted him to suffer the most. He wanted to see him wither away and suffer alone in solitude and anguish just as he had suffered, before extracting the final act of his vengeance.

So he cursed him with the most terrible form of all.

The form of the most magnificent and dangerous creature of myth and legend, once beloved by the royal family and the kingdom, and would now be used to doom the new King. The form of the Dragon. But his form was cursed to be neither monster nor human, but something awful in between. Trapped as a prisoner within his own body, with only his most loyal of followers in bodies no human would dare trust, he was imprisoned within his castle.

To entertain himself, the Sorcerer gave the prince an ultimatum.

The prince would have a century to find his one true love and break the curse. It couldn't just be anyone, however. It had to be a person that could accept the King for the monster he was, else his soul and the souls of all those he held dear would never know peace and would instead be trapped within the dark depths of the Cursed Realm for all eternity. With a maniacal laugh and a haunting scream, he vanished, claiming to return once his time had come, leaving behind a confused and terrified crowd who couldn't recognize themselves in a mirror.

The prince let out a shallow gasp as he collapsed to his knees before he screamed in horror at the body that was no longer his.

Instead of human hands, black claws had replaced his fingers and scaled paws were his hands. Thick scales and black talons adorned his arms. At his feet were the back legs and claws of a dragon. Confused and scared he turned to his servants, each holding a sad expression on their faces, and when a mirror was raised to the prince's face, he screamed. Black scales adorned his body, torso, and chest, a powerful, whip-like tail sprouted from behind him; fin-like appendages grew from his shoulders.

From his shoulder blades sprouted two enormous wings large enough to consume his body, glittering with blood as they ripped from his skin.

But most terrifying of all were his eyes. No longer were they the brilliant green he'd grown up with, nor were they human. Instead, he saw the dark brown eyes and slit-like pupils of a dragon staring back at him in horror and fear. It was just as the sorcerer cursed him. He was neither dragon nor man but something terrible in-between. His servants and friends urged him not to lose hope, that they would find his love, whoever it may be, and rescue his parents and the young princess from wherever the evil Sorcerer sent them.

But it wasn't long before hope began to fade. As the years passed, he fell into despair.

His followers and the people he'd worked so hard to protect refused to leave him or abandon the castle. The rest of the world forgot as the long years of the century rolled by. Alone in the castle, the former King's heir began to chill and stiffen, angered and bitter towards the world that shunned him so cruelly as a horrible monster. As hope became an illusion scorned by the prince, his lonely heart grew cold and desolate. But his servants never lost hope.

They prayed and prayed to the FSM for aid, to save their master from the malicious fate cursed upon him and to help him find his love.

For only the Prince knew about his love and told only a select two and they swore to take the secret to their graves, keeping it from even their most trusted friends and family. They just trusted their Master to find his love, knowing that whoever it may be would have to be a special soul to earn the heart and rescue the soul of their master. Though the secret was safe, it didn't stop the servants from wonder who would lift their curse. They wondered who was the Dragon Lord's one true love...


	2. The Dreamer

"Shit! Fuck! Dammit!" Kai growled as he once again reached the last page of the leather-bound novel he had been reading. He turned the last crisp leaf only to find the last page, telling that the Dragon Lord still had to find his true love, so yellowed with age and stained that it was beyond readability. No matter how many times he read his favorite story, it frustrated him to no end that the ending remained a well-kept secret. With expert care, he closed the antique book, being extra careful with the antiquarian treasure.

Gold claps and hinders lined the corners so the leather would not wear out too quickly.

Red, orange, white, and blue jewels were embedded into the twists of each corner, while a gold clasp with a leather strap kept the book locked when it wasn't being read. Gold patterns adorned the exquisite cover while faintly glowing letters spelled out the title. The spine was equally studded with gold corners binding it together and studded with dully-glowing jewels. The pages were aged and yellowed but worn in a way that made it clear the book was not only well-used but well-loved.

Running a hand through his spikey brown hair, he gently placed the book back in his bag.

Then he interlaced his hands behind his head before leaning back against the trunk of the tree he currently occupied in a laidback manner before gazing at the clear blue sky above him. The teen had tall, thick spiky brown hair, shaped like fire, and bright amber eyes that shined like burning embers. He had a focused expression on his face, with a scar visible on his right eyebrow and a bandage above his left. He wore a red half-zipped-up jacket over a white shirt with some kind of Japanese symbol on the back of the jacket and brown pants.

Nineteen-year-old Kai Smith closed his eyes with a contented sigh before happily trying to drift off to sleep.

He wanted to escape the shackles of life outside the wide acres of land and forest surrounding the small home he occupied with his beloved sibling. If only to escape for a moment.

"KAI!"

"AHH!" He cried out as the sudden noise caused Kai to bolt from his serenity, and momentarily forgetting where he was, he maneuvered to see what it was that had woken him. The sound of giggling from above forced his eyes open, and he came face to face with the adorable face and sweet, innocent smile of his younger adopted brother. He had long, blonde tousled hair, and brown arched eyebrows with bright emerald green eyes that many people would state could sometimes glow in the dark.

He wore a dark green jacket with a white t-shirt and black pants and black and dark green sneakers.

"Good morning!" Twelve-year-old Lloyd smiled down at his older brother with a wide, bright smile and innocent eyes cutely shut. "Sleep well?"

"I did," Kai smirked with a tone of mock irritation. "Until a certain someone conspired to kill me by knocking me out of a tree." He answered with a mock glare, but his brother simply burst into laughter before taking a step back. Recognizing the game, Kai smirked and took a step forward. Lloyd took another step back, but Kai was quick to follow him until finally Lloyd turned and sprinted. The chase had begun. Letting him have his fun, Kai let his little brother win for a moment before putting on a sudden burst of speed and tackling the child to the ground.

The two rolled around for a few minutes before finally collapsing in a field of colorful flowers in a heap of laughter.

"You have been a very, very naughty boy, Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon-Smith." Kai scolded playfully, wagging his finger in front of Lloyd's face as if punishing a small child. Lloyd pouted at this, succeeding only in making himself look cuter, but Kai had helped raise him and was immune to his little brother's tricks to getting out of trouble.

"Perhaps I should ask Nya if she could cook a veggie casserole for dinner instead of pizza?" He mused thoughtfully. Lloyd's reaction changed in an instant.

"No!" The younger boy squeaked in pure panic and quickly jumped to his feet. He tugged harshly on Kai's arms and ran around him to push him to his feet when that didn't work. "Let's go, please! We can go right now! I'll even carry everything home, I promise." He started saying quickly and desperately. It took all of Kai's willpower not to fall to the ground laughing at his brother's response.

"Alright, alright green bean, we'll go." Kai chuckled at his brother's relieved smile while reaching to retrieve the bag that he had lost during their play. "But you have to promise to behave." He added and Lloyd groaned in defeat but nodded, his love of seeing the town outweighing his pride. The siblings had moved to the sleepy town of Ignacia when Lloyd was eight and Kai and Nya had just turned fifteen. They had instantly begun rebelling against the role society had dictated for him.

The trio's father Ray, a retired blacksmith, had settled his family in the small town not long after the family lost their mother to illness.

When the Smiths first arrived in Ignacia, Maya, the trio's mother and a fantastic artist who was very talented with watercolors, and their father Ray shared a love of adventure and traveled around a lot, studying the different cultures they came across. They continued their adventurous life after they were married. They had settled down for a short time when they received the joyful news that Maya was pregnant with Kai and Nya. After the twins were born, the couple decided they wanted to adopt another.

It wasn't long before they adopted a one-year-old Lloyd.

Once Lloyd was old enough to travel, the family continued their adventurous lifestyle. Unfortunately, news of her mother's illness sent the family rushing back to Ninjago City for treatment, but sadly no medicine was enough to save her. Maya's dying wish to her children and husband was for them all to be happy and to never stop following their hearts. Shortly after, the remaining family members moved to the sleepy, provincial little town of Ignacia.

The town of Ignacia was built in a large glade of a mighty forest and was truly an ancient phenomenon.

Its appearance was matched by the backdrop of giant mountains which have helped shape the city into what it is today. The materials that these mountains brought were of great importance. The village itself looked elegant. With its seagrass rooftops, redwood walls, and native bird species, the place had a pleasant atmosphere. The main attraction in the town was the fountain, which was built thirty-nine years ago. Ignacia had an unhealthy economy, which was mainly supported by fletching, wood-crafting, and armorsmithing.

But their biggest strengths were sustainable hunting and advanced medicine.

In the town of Ignacia Ray set up a small shop selling glass objects, paintings, sculptures, and anything he could craft in his forge. Even though they were quite wealthy compared to the rest of the small town. It hadn't been too difficult for the family to settle into small-town life after almost four years of traveling. Nya, like their mother, adored all forms of art around the world, but she found the Japanese style of their home inspiring. Soon her own art flooded the shop.

As long as Nya had her art, she was happy.

Carefree and fun-loving, Lloyd found a new adventure in everything he could find and delighted in the woods and the fields around his home and the town and the many buildings. If he wasn't exploring, he was plotting to steal candy from the grown-ups. Kai, unfortunately, hadn't adjusted so easily. He missed those days. Traveling and seeing many exotic places and cultures, and learning about the world ever since the morning they came to this provincial, backwater town.

It was already mid-morning and the streets were alive with bustling people, carrying out identical routines to the rest of the week.

The smooth cobblestone streets lined the city, identical massive stones corbelled together. Identical red and brown houses on batches of dirt or elevate on hills lined both sides of the streets with windows for houses on top and shops on the bottom. They were smushed close together while stone chimneys lined each roof. An enormous wall surrounded the town, separating it from the lush woods and fields, already starting to change color in the late autumn.

Kai noticed every morning just the same.

The baker carried his tray like always, the aroma of baked goods filling the crisp autumn air as people opened up shop and carried out their daily routines. People were gathering their goods and running errands, the same routine, saying good morning and asking how they were and how their families were doing. Even though the Smiths were different, they were no exception.

"Good morning, Lloyd! Good morning Kai!" The baker called, carrying a tray of bread and rolls.

"Good morning!" Lloyd chimed and rushed over with Kai behind him. The child bounced from shop to shop, delighting in his favorite past time while Kai tried in vain to strike up a conversation with the baker.

"Where you off to?" The baker asked.

"The library," Kai answered. "I just finished the most amazing book about a spellcaster and–"

"That's nice." The baker replied, having clearly stopped listening after Kai said library and called to his assistant to finish making the croissants for the day. Kai rolled his amber eyes and called for Lloyd. They continued their stroll to the only real place Kai felt at home in the dull, little town. Already, townspeople began to gossip about them as he walked by.

"That boy is strange, no question." A group of gossiping old ladies muttered amongst themselves.

"He's always distracted."

"He's never part of any crowd." An aristocratic woman pointed out. "He's always by himself reading books."

"His head's in the clouds, all the time." An old man grunted.

"No denying he's a funny boy that Kai." A group of shoppers conversed amongst themselves, while men running shopped, bowed, and tipped their hats respectively to any woman who came by. Kai growled in annoyance as he heard the gossip. A caravan drove by, ignoring the two boys after the driver said the usual good day, while three teenage girls giggled like school girls when the brunette walked by.

"That boy is so peculiar."

"I wonder if he's feeling well?"

"He's too wild." A man said to his wife. It took all of Kai's will to not growl in frustration.

"He always has a dreamy far-off look on his face."

"If his nose isn't in a book, he's scribbling away in a notebook."

"He's so strange but special; it's a pity he doesn't fit in."

"Oh yes, he's ravishing isn't he?"

"Quite, he is a funny boy though."

"A beauty, but a funny boy."

"Very different from the rest of us."

"FSM take me now if I ever become part of this life!" Kai growled to the heavens, stomping his foot in frustration. His fists clenched whenever the words odd, strange, funny, or peculiar were mumbled over and over just like yesterday and the day before that. Every day was the same thing and he had half a mind to turn around and tell everyone in town to piss off and mind their own business. But he forced his tongue in check. He cared nothing that such an outburst would only warrant more disrespect from the town and they'd treat him even worse than he already was.

It was solely out of respect for his family that he kept his cool.

Kai had adored and respected both his parents. He, Nya, and Lloyd had been devastated when age robbed them of their beloved father. Shortly after the disease killed their mother, their father's broken heart followed her in death less than a year later. The town could say whatever they wished about him, but Kai would never forgive himself if he accidentally tarnished his parents' good name because of his inability to control his temper. That and he knew the only thing losing his temper would accomplish nothing.

Except the residents marching up to his house and complaining to Nya about how her twin brother was too wild and lacked discipline.

Quite frankly, Kai loved Nya too much to let her put up with their nonsense simply because she was Kai's twin. It simply wasn't worth it. Kai had never denied he was different from everyone else, even in his own bizarre family. But after years of traveling and seeing so many different cultures and places, his own mannerisms seemed minor in comparison. However, in this backwater town so pedestrian and old-fashioned, those simple characteristics were all the town seemed to care about.

Unlike most boys, he wanted to become a writer and travel rather than marry and inherit and run a vast estate.

Kai loathed the mannerisms that many considered normal, and as headstrong and outspoken as he was, wasn't afraid to voice it and for that, he was considered odd and freaky. Not that Kai cared, he'd long since ceased caring about what others here thought of him. But despite that, he truly wished someone would look beyond his looks and accept him for who he was. An individual and not another handsome boy bound for a wealthy marriage and was simply just too headstrong for his own good.

His sharp eyes barely caught his reflection in the glass of one of the shop windows when he and Lloyd stopped to gather the groceries on Nya's list.

He turned to meet the lovely boy staring back at him. People always said the twins were lovely like their parents. Nya possessed their father's charcoal black hair and their mother's ocean blue eyes. Her brother had their mother's brown hair, even though his hair was a lighter shade, and he had his father's burning amber eyes. Lloyd may have been young but Kai could already he was going to become a handsome young man. Kai was fully aware of his appearance and what others thought of him.

But in his mind and his normal standards, he wasn't beautiful or even handsome.

To be beautiful you had to be tall and lean like his mother or Nya, and you had to have a perfect tan and look like prince charming. Compared to Kai, Nya was a gorgeous princess and Lloyd was an angel, while Kai looked more like a damsel in distress masquerading as a boy. Yet while Kai didn't see the beauty in his appearance, everyone else in the town saw nothing but his fair facade. They made no attempt to look behind it and considered him odd, peculiar, and strange.

Though he couldn't care less what others thought of him, it saddened and frustrated the fiery teen to no end, not one in town could accept him for who he was.

"Kai?" A sweet voice broke the older teen from his thoughts, and he diverted his attention from his reflection to his worried little brother, holding two large paper bags of already paid for food. "You okay?"

"I'm fine bro," He smiled, "Just lost in my thoughts." He replied following his reflection until the glass faded into the wood, they continued on their way...


	3. The Library

Far off across the rolling hills and lush countryside, Kai caught sight of the woods, trees alight with leaves of red, brown, orange, and gold, like blazing fire. They were some of his favorite colors. The cliffside rumored to lead out of the valley and past an old castle that had been abandoned for a little over a century, towering over the green and flaming colored landscape. It was almost like it was beckoning the dreamer to join its life outside the sheltered ways of the town.

A smile played across Kai's face.

One day he was getting out of this lame provincial life, and he will never look back. Soon a small grey stone building came into view and both brothers smiled as they strolled up the stone path and through the small oakwood doors. Despite all he had seen in his youth of traveling with his family, Kai found no place more magnificent than Ignacia's library. The building's walls and shelves were lined with books from ceiling to floor like an enormous labyrinth.

Some were so high that tall ladders were placed on casters at different intervals.

Though small, books were everywhere and these were no ordinary books. These books were bound in leather or velvet with strong locks and clasps of brass and silver. Their spines were studded with jewels that glowed in the pale light of dozens of candles hanging from the enormous iron-clad chandeliers hanging overhead. The floors were polished wood. In the center of the room and the labyrinth of shelves sat several desks carved from wood with matching chairs.

At the head of the library stood a much more ornamental desk with vines engraved into the side of the wooden slab.

Sitting behind it with an eccentric smile, an elderly man rose to his feet, a long grey mustache falling from his face while his rich brown eyes gleamed from behind a pair with thin black glasses. When he saw them he gave them a friendly smile.

"I was wondering when you boys would arrive." He greeted on a loud, unusual accent. "I'd almost given up waiting."

"Sorry, Dr. Saunders." Kai smiled politely, "Just here to return the books I borrowed." He explained digging through his bag while Lloyd scurried off to find something to read.

"Finished already?" Dr. Saunders asked in feigned surprise.

"I couldn't put it down." The brunette replied with a chuckle, handing him the two books before strolling over and scanning the shelves. "I don't suppose you have anything new do you?"

"Not since yesterday, I'm afraid."

"Alright, then I'll just take this one." Kai requested before picking up a leather-bound book.

"That one?" Dr. Saunders repeated, his fingers dancing over the gold lettering. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you've checked this one out at least once a month since you moved here, haven't you?"

"Can't help it, it's my favorite." Kai blushed sheepishly. "No matter how many times I read it, it leaves me on the edge of my seat, the ending makes my heart race and I continue getting frustrated when I turn to the last page and I can never read the end; I really wanna know what happens." Kai voiced, unintentionally expressing his obsession. Dr. Saunders's grin couldn't get any wider. The librarian placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder before placing his favorite book in his hands.

Kai blinked in confusion but before he could voice his question, Dr. Saunders answered.

"If you like it all that much, it's yours." He said and Kai's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. He opened his mouth to protest but the words died in this throat. "I insist." Dr. Saunders answered with a wink before the boy could protest. "My job is to make sure each one of these lovely books finds the right person, and if you're not the one for this story, I'm a blind old fool." He laughed. Unsure what else to say, Kai said the only thing that came to mind.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" He beamed widely. The librarian smiled before starting in remembrance and diving behind his desk.

"I almost forgot." He pulled out a large folder tied with a red string from beneath the mess of his desk, before holding the familiar object out to the brunette. "You left this here yesterday, I couldn't put them down." He grinned as Kai's eyes lit up in recognition and he snatched his folder away and hugged it to his chest.

"Sorry!" The flustered teen mumbled in apology. "They're not very good, most of them are just drafts and such–"

"Kai," A single word from the librarian silenced him, and he looked up to meet impressed and encouraging eyes. "They're brilliant, even for 'drafts'; I've read so many books and I've never seen anything half as good as some of the things your imagination has conjured up."

"Uh, thanks."

"Honestly, Kai, what the heck are you and your siblings still doing in this backward town?" The librarian asked. The question was rhetorical, but no one could mistake the seriousness in Dr. Saunders's question. "You three have so much talent and so much potential it's such a shame you can't exercise your talents at a more credential location." He sighed in disappointment. Kai blinked, then nodded at the compliment.

"We're working on it." He replied. "Nya's hoping to win the Inventor's Contest this year, if this pulls through we might finally have enough to move."

"I'm surprised it's taken you so long." The librarian smiled. "Your parents left you everything."

"Yeah, but that's our savings, it's more than enough to live on but not move away and continue living in a new place." Lloyd chimed in, carrying a small stack of children's books of his own and placing them on the table.

"I tell you boys this place has changed since Vincent passed; FSM blesses his soul." Dr. Saunders sighed sadly. "I knew it was only a matter of time, since no one from that family seems to take after him, and then Morro rolls in–" He continued, only to stop when Kai suddenly growled under his breath at the man's name. Dr. Saunders decided not to press the issue anymore. It was true though. For the past year after their father passed away, the three remaining Smiths had put away their parent's inheritance and started saving their earnings until they could afford to leave.

But the shop hadn't been doing as well as it had when Vincent was the Duke.

Nya, being the overly ambitious and determined sibling, was dead-set on winning the fair this year. Then they could move to a place where they could finally pursue their dreams. Dr. Saunders finished checking Lloyd's books and placed them all in a bag for the little one to carry. Lloyd quickly followed Kai who paused in the doorway to let his little brother pass. He gave the librarian another smile and wave before running to catch up with his little brother...


	4. The Duke

Kai sighed in relief as he dropped the bags at his feet and plopped down next to the equally exhausted Lloyd on the side of the town square fountain. The large, glistening fountain outside of city hall in the dead center of the entire city. Built only a handful of years ago, this fountain at the old town center was there to represent the importance of all generations, both young and old, and what they have to offer. Its position within the city was meant to represent the strong mind and balanced way of life the city strived for.

It was designed by Nya.

She had wonderfully captured the natural beauty of the region and used a personal style to convey her vision in this piece of art. Every element was crafted and created with deluxe materials from local suppliers, ensuring this monument will remain an important aspect of the community spirit for many more years.

"Think we got enough food?" He teased.

"Well, we got everything on Nya's list." Lloyd smiled. "You remembered the chocolate right?"

"Yes, I remembered the chocolate." Kai rolled his eyes playfully. Lloyd smiled and dug into his big brother's bag before pulling out a folder and opened. He thumbed through the pages until he found a small back of stapled pages and pulled out the top one, smiling before placing the pack in Kai's lap.

"Care to show your favorite little brother what you've been working on?" He flashed a bright smile and his infamous pleading look.

"Maybe later," Kai replied calmly, earning him a look of pure shock from the blond boy. Kai could never resist Lloyd's babyface when he wanted something. Kai just laughed and scooped his collection of papers in his hands before looking at the one Lloyd picked out. The poem was written in his hand above the image of a field of roses. At the heart was an ancient castle that dated back to the early 18th century. The only difference was this castle was pure white, each stone chiseled from stabs of pristine marble.

Lloyd leaned over his brother's shoulder, immediately engrossed in the detailed sketch of his big brother's.

"Jeez Kai, you could give Nya a run for her money."

"It's just a sketch."

"It's still awesome! Now, can I see the poem or not?" Lloyd pleaded with a whine in his voice.

"No!"

"But it's amazing!" He begged and giggled as Kai blushed.

"You think everything I write is amazing." He smiled, rolling his eyes.

"Because they are!" He insisted, kneeling over the side of the fountain to dig through Kai's folder. "Didn't you say that one goes with another poem or passage? Here it is!" He cheered in victory pulling out another passage Kai wrote and placed in his lap. "This one! I remember cuz when you were reading you had this really dreamy look on your face." His smile almost split in half at the dark blush suddenly covering Kai's face. He snatched both things away and stuffed them back in his folder.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, green bean." Kai insisted with a small smirk. It would have convinced anyone else despite the faint scarlet dusting Kai's cheeks, but not to Lloyd and Nya.

"Yes, you do! You wrote that about the Dragon Lord didn't you?" He smirked playfully. The brunette's eyes nearly bulged out of his skull at Lloyd's innocently smirking face.

"How do you know that?!" He spluttered, completely flabbergasted. The youngest Smith almost burst out laughing at his older brother's panic.

"I didn't, but it's written all over your face!" He gasped in between laughs. Growling in defeat, Kai ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"Yes, they were inspired by the fairy tale, but no it's not about him, I wrote them after I had a dream." He explained as Lloyd blinked in bewilderment. "I know silly, right?"

"No! I wanna hear it!" He insisted widening his eyes. Rolling his eyes again, knowing Lloyd wouldn't let the subject drop, he continued.

"Alright, well, every night, I dream I'm in a field of flowers outside the castle and while I'm there, I hear a song playing and I follow it; then I see a man standing there holding the most beautiful music box I'd ever seen."

"Is he handsome?" Lloyd asked, teasingly, but Kai chose to ignore that question.

"The music was so lovely; it reminded me of the songs Mom and Dad used to sing to us, but in the most amazing voice I've ever heard." He sighed in awe. "The second I woke up, I just wrote the poem down and then I just couldn't get that man out of my head; I kept dreaming about him more and more." He explained unwittingly, letting his hidden passions seep into his voice; something that didn't go unnoticed by Lloyd. His smile only widened until it nearly split his face in half.

"You're in love~" He sang and Kai almost fell off the fountain. "You're in love with your dream prince!" He teased, with a smirk that put even his siblings to shame as he leaned over his older brother. "And don't try and deny it either, that might work on someone else, but not someone who's known you as long as I have!"

"The Dragon Lord is only a fairy tale, he's not real." Kai sighed, saddened, looking heavenward for assistance to his dilemma.

"Don't worry, bro; I'm sure you'll find your true love." Lloyd encouraged, leaning against the brunette's shoulder. Kai chuckled and ran his fingers through Lloyd's blond hair.

"You're a hopeless romantic, green bean."

"Hopeful." He corrected mischievously. Both boys broke into a fit of laughter until they were interrupted by the sound of a carriage and horses pulling to a stop. Just like that, everyone in town stopped to carry out the weekly ritual that was as practiced and routine as everything else in Ignacia. Everyone was more than happy to greet the two people that were exiting the carriage. The first to exit the expensive, flamboyant carriage was a middle-aged woman wearing a simple but expensive pale green dress.

Her long black hair was tied in a high ponytail by a pretty dark green ribbon, while her toxic green eyes glowed against her deathly-pale skin.

She was a noble maiden without a doubt, but she was not the reason everyone had stopped to stare. The man she turned and bowed her head to was. The brothers recognized his walk before he even stepped out of the carriage. He looked nobler than the woman. The man stepped out of the carriage adorned in a black suit that looked like the most expensive embroidery anyone had ever seen and a necklace of the finest craftsmanship. The outfit was only a simple outing suit but it was still the most expensive thing either brother had ever seen.

The pants alone probably cost more than their entre combined wardrobes.

His white gloves were molded the man's perfect hand and the suit hugged his muscles tightly. The newly polished shoes shined as he stepped down from the carriage. Men and women became lovestruck at his appearance and some people were instantly struck with jealousy or admiration. That combined with perfectly smooth, unblemished white skin, a perfect face, long jet black hair with a green streak in it, and ghostly green eyes, Duke Morro Vento was in every inch a fairy tale prince.

After all, Morro's family had founded the town and still owned it to this day.

Kai never realized how rehearsed Morro's walk was. It was coy and arrogant, just like his glances and his audacious smile. Morro must have returned from a successful trip because he seemed more arrogant today. Kai's gaze turned to Lloyd who nodded in understanding. Both boys picked up their books and the groceries, ready to leave. But a second too late, the duke's gaze found them and he smiled, a seductive smirk that Kai hated more than anything else.

Again he strolled over, cutting off their only exit before the two boys could sneak away.

"Hello, Kai." He smiled sweetly, but the teen saw right through it.

"That's Mr. Smith, your grace." He retorted with a hard gaze. At one point he may have been allowed Morro to call him by his first name, but he had lost that right years ago. Morro's predatory gaze immediately hardened when the brunette used his title instead of his name, though he'd told him time and time again he was allowed to. Kai simply refused to. It was so hard to believe that this arrogant and pompous man obsessed with luxury and social position was the same sweet and free-spirited kid the Smiths knew as children.

Morro's grandfather and their father Ray had been close friends for years.

It was solely because of Morro's grandfather the family moved to this town in the first place. Morro's grandfather had been Duke of the city and the peasants for almost sixty years. He had made it perfectly clear he was just as much a citizen of the town as the rest of the valley. He never cared for social status or reform and only for the well-being of the town and the citizens. As a result, the two families had been quite close. Morro was only two or three years older than Kai.

Sometimes their parents joked about the two of them getting married one day.

This was something Morro's parents took to heart for the future, especially as the children entered adulthood. Ray never considered the idea, especially since he knew none of the children seemed to like Morro in that manner. But once Morro's grandfather died and Ray fell ill, everything changed. Once Morro and his family took the role of Duke and Duchess, and delighted in the royal lifestyle, the Smiths saw less and less of Morro. He'd become too comfortable in the position of his family.

"How many times must I ask you to call me Morro, Kai?" The Duke smiled sweetly, hoping for a romantic response. The brunette just rolled his eyes and gathered his papers together before tying his folder closed. He lifted it to put it away but Morro suddenly snatched it.

"What are these, beautiful?" He asked with mock curiosity, flipping through the papers.

"Your grace, please return my property." He said and it took every ounce of Kai's willpower to remain civil. It was for the sake of his family's good name that he didn't snatch it from his hands and scold him like a child.

"Did you write all these, darling? You must have way too much time on your hands if you waste it scribbling away and reading books." He laughed and Kai growled at the mockery in Morro's voice.

"That's not true!" Lloyd exclaimed and was on his feet faster than anyone expected of the young boy. "Kai's an amazing writer, if you even bothered to read them instead of spending all your time in that stupid shack you call a palace, you'd recognize some good writing." He growled at the duke. A few eyes widened and jaws dropped at Lloyd's comment, but Morro paid the boy no mind and snapped the folder closed, holding it as if it were a discarded garment.

"Oh darling, you have so much promise; don't you think it is about time you got your head out of those silly stories and started paying attention to more important things?" He asked and his voice held a seductive purr that made Kai shiver in aggravation. "I mean, the whole town is talking about it! You spend all your time working at that little shop or reading, it is such a shame." He spoke in such a dreary tone as if Kai's life was that of an unfortunate pauper.

Kai closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair.

He let the duke rant, knowing full well he wouldn't care if he was paying attention to him or not. It had been this way since Morro became the Duke. He accepted the position with a smile and had since turned his ambitions to accustoming Kai to the royal life. The trio lost touch with him as a result, especially Kai, who rejected the idea of the rich and nobility; preferring a life of freedom away from petty, materialistic things. After all, he was perfectly happy living with his siblings where the three could carry out their dreams.

Of course, Morro didn't notice or even care.

"Of course, if you were married to a more... privileged person you wouldn't have to work a day in your life." Morro grinned as his emerald eyes fixed in a cruel seductive glint and met Kai's amber orbs.

"Marriage?" Kai repeated as his eyes widened. "I don't think so Morro, I like working and besides, I don't want to marry just anyone; now, please return my folder." He ordered, attempting to mask the hostility in his voice, holding out his hand.

"Oh, but it wouldn't be just anyone." Morro continued, ignoring the brunette, and held the folder out of his reach so Kai's gaze was fixed on him. "You of all people deserve far more than just anyone; you deserve someone beautiful, wealthy, well-respected-"

"Those are all material things, Morro, not what you should be looking for in marriage." Lloyd cut him off, his hands balled into fists at his sides.

"Give me my folder back, Duke Vento."

"You need someone who's known you since you arrived in this town, who's courted you for years." He smirked as he leaned closer to the brunette, irritation marring the seductive charm.

"I won't ask you again Morro, now stop acting childish and give me my stuff back!" Kai thundered in a harsh tone. Taken aback by the scolding and the looks of the townsmen, he regained his composure and with as much dignity as he could muster returned the folder to Kai.

"Very well, we'll talk later than; come along, Bansha, let us return home." He smiled as he gestured to the raven-haired girl, who followed obediently. Kai's amber eyes were almost red with rage until Lloyd pulled on his arm a bit. Kai's gaze turned to his little brother's curious stare.

"Is he really so naïve that he can't tell you're ignoring his flirting on purpose, or is he just acting?" He asked as he cocked his head cutely, making Morro suddenly freeze in his tracks and Kai burst into laughter, his anger forgotten. Morro turned around with a mortified look on his face. Did Kai's brother just insult him? Without even trying?

"How dare you!" He snapped, pointing accusingly, his composure shattered.

"Now, now, my lord." Kai chuckled. "He's only joking, come on Lloyd, let's get home before Nya wonders where we've been." He smirked and Lloyd smiled as the two scooped up the groceries and books and strolled past the duke and the noblewoman and down the street towards home. Once they were out of earshot of town and Morro, Kai turned to his smiling little brother.

"Thank you for that, green bean; I swear I would have beat the crap outta him if he called me 'darling' one more time."

"I don't know why you put up with him!" Lloyd asked with a snort. "You'd think it would finally penetrate that thick skull of his that you're not interested!"

"I doubt that." Kai sighed, annoyed. "Morro never was one to give up." He added and he knew that was true from experience. Morro had waited and tried for years to coax him to his side. "Hopefully when Nya wins this year, we'll finally have enough money to leave this miserable place." He smiled, confidently.

"I hope so!" Lloyd cheered. "Even I'm getting sick of this town, but I'd miss Dr. Saunders and Brad." He admitted. Kai hummed in understanding as he looked at the large clock tower and his eyes widened.

"Oh shit! Look what time it is!"

"We didn't even make dinner yet and you know what happened last time we got home late?" The youngest Smith groaned as he turned to his middle sibling with concern.

"Don't worry, Nya's a smart girl; she's not dumb enough to repeat her mistakes," Kai assured him. No sooner had Kai said those words, however, an explosion erupted from the Smith home, and thick black smoke pooled from the chimney and kitchen windows...


	5. The Kitchen Catastrophe

Bansha remained silent as Morro ranted and raved in the privacy of the carriage. He had lost whatever grip he had on his temper as soon as the carriage started taking them back home. Morro looked ready to kill somebody, most likely Lloyd.

"That insolent little brat! How dare he insult me!"

"Lloyd or Kai?" Bansha spoke out of turn, something she instantly regretted when Morro's scowl turned on her.

"Lloyd, of course! If it wasn't for that little brat or their ugly sister, I'm sure Kai would be mine by now! Doesn't he realize those two are the ones who are holding him back?! I could give him anything and yet he still refused me!" He ranted, clenching his fists in rage. "I mean, how naïve can he be? What must I do to persuade him to pop the question?" He scowled critically. Bansha could only shake her head. Morro was without a doubt a prodigy, but he lacked the most obvious common sense.

Kai was a dreamer, it didn't matter how rich Morro was or what society deemed appropriate.

He wouldn't chase Morro like everyone else. No, he was chasing the foolish dream of finding true love. A frivolous illusion of course, but nevertheless Kai believed it. Bansha had no doubt Morro would never have his 'precious darling' unless he convinced him to love him. Something she knew would never happen. She knew Morro well enough. The duke always got what he wanted.

"Why are you so obsessed with him?" Bansha spoke aloud and Morro's attention turned to her. Bansha hadn't meant to speak out loud but Morro could tell she was only curious. "I mean, you could have anyone you wanted, yes, Kai's beautiful, but personality-wise, he's the complete opposite of the man you want; why do you keep chasing him when you could have people so much more charming, obedient, and wealthy! You're the Duke! You're wealthy, well-educated, people throw themselves at your feet every day! You could replace Kai in an instant! Why do you waste your time with him when you could have anyone else?"

Morro chuckled darkly, a crackling sound that would make even the bravest of hearts shiver in fear.

"You've just answered your own question, Bansha." He smirked. Everything she said was true of course. Kai's appearance was in every inch the way a fairy tale prince was supposed to look, but it was his personality that needed work. Kai was perfect, but he was too brazen, too wild. He needed to be tamed, and he was the only one to do that. After all, as a Duke, he needed not only the perfect partner but also someone who would never challenge his authority.

In business or in bed.

"Because I can have anyone else."...

* * *

The enormous landscape surrounding the Smith home was a sight to behold. A wide golden field and stables with a large pond in the corner bordered on two sides by woods and a house large enough for a large family flew by, unnoticed by its two youngest occupants as both Kai and Lloyd bolted across the yard and up the stairs to their house. Both ran surprisingly fast for all the bags they were carrying. Then again, it was Nya who was in the kitchen.

That alone was cause for alarm.

Both practically broke the door down, causing more smoke to erupt from the house. Lloyd batted the inky wisps away and coughed harshly before Kai found him something to cover his mouth with.

"NYA!" Kai howled, furiously, before stomping towards the kitchen, with Lloyd behind him. "GOD HELP YOU IF YOU'RE IN THE FUCKING KITCHEN!" He warned as both brothers dropped the books and groceries on the dining room table and stormed inside. The kitchen was still intact, but the smoke was everywhere, pouring out the open windows now that it had an escape. Huge spots of soot and ash covered the floor, the counters, and the stove which was wheezing smoke.

The wood from the old-fashioned brick stove had burned itself out leaving only ashes.

The bowl on top of it was covered in ash and looked even more charred than the inside of the hearth. Nya, the younger twin, was on the floor, coughing and wheezing, covered from head to toe in thick soot. Her midnight black hair tied in a ponytail was the only thing dark than the soot as her stunning blue eyes seemed to light up her face. Her tanned skin was revealed through the ripped jeans. When she stood to her full height in an attempt to brush the ashes off her, she stood a few inches shorter than Kai.

She also had a small beauty mark on her right cheek.

Even in her ripped, paint-splattered jeans and the light blue shirt she wore when she painted or invented and hiking boots caked in oil, paint, and covered in soot, Nya looked ravishing.

"Nya," Kai said dangerously low with a clearly angry smirk on his face as he glared down at Nya on the floor. "When Dad said you were never allowed in the kitchen again, what made you think he was joking?"

"You two were late." She replied, crossing her arms and trying to look as casual as possible.

"We're always late! That doesn't mean you have the right to try and burn down the kitchen! AGAIN!" Lloyd scolded. "What did you do this time? Forget to take the plastic off?" He asked and Nya's eyes widened guiltily, assuring them both that was exactly what she did. Despite being an excellent painter and even better inventor, Nya wasn't so good in the kitchen. That's why cooking the family meals was Kai's job. The eldest Smith sighed and smacked his forehead.

"Nya, you can't cook to save your life!"

"Doesn't mean I can't try!" She smirked, rubbing the soot off her cheeks. "At least I didn't burn anything." She mumbled. Both brothers glared at her referring to the black soot covering the kitchen. "You know what I mean." She snorted, ego deflated a bit. "What took you so long anyway?"

"We stopped at the bookstore, and Dr. Saunders found Kai's writing."

"That's it?" Nya raised a cool eyebrow in disbelief. She knew full well that her brothers could live at the library if given the choice but even they always came home on time.

"We ran into Morro on the way back," Kai growled.

"That explains it." She rolled her eyes. "What did he want this time?"

"Same old shit he wants every time," Kai replied, tossing a bag into Nya's lap, which she hesitantly caught in her surprise. "Help us put the food away otherwise no one's eating until breakfast." He ordered. Nya was on his feet in an instant, her stomach winning over her pride.

"You should've seen his face when he thought Lloyd insulted his!" Kai chuckled, making their little brother blush. Nya only blinked in surprise before grinning.

"Well hopefully after next week, you won't have to deal with him anymore."

"You finished your invention!" Both boys asked with hopefulness. Nya smirked and grabbed both their wrists before pulling them out of the kitchen and upstairs, where their bedrooms were located, as well as the room she and their parents used as a workshop. Kai sometimes painted something if he was bored, but he hasn't done it in a while. Nya threw the door open, revealing the wooden floor covered by paint-splattered sheets and blotches of paint-decorated walls.

The wall opposite the door was made entirely of glass, like a giant window allowing air and sunlight inside.

Blank canvases and stacks of papers and scrolls lined the opposite wall while easels with trays of oil paints, watercolors and charcoals cups filled with pencils, pens, and brushes of various, shape, size, texture, and design covered the table by the sink where water cans and jars held paint-caked brushes. In the corner sat her newest invention, while a tray of oil paints in various colors rested on the table next to it. The machine itself took Kai and Lloyd's breath away.

It is a wooden machine containing various types of gadgetry, including an ax.

This machine was intended to be used to chop wood, supposedly making it easier than chopping with an ordinary ax.

"Wow!" Kai gasped.

"It's amazing, big sis!" Lloyd hugged her. "Now I know you're going to win this year!"

"Let's hope so." She beamed as she wrapped her arms around her two brothers and pulling them both close in a hug. "Then maybe we can get out of here."

"Finally!" Kai cheered.

"Now, I'm gonna get changed." She released her siblings before strolling down the hallway to her room. "Unless of course, you want me to help you clean the kitchen and-"

"NO!" They both said with such force she was taken aback. Nya meant it as a joke but it seemed neither Kai nor Lloyd were taking the chance.

"Oh and since Lloyd will probably be too busy cleaning the kitchen you'll just have to suffer pasta with my sauce," Kai warned teasingly, following Lloyd downstairs, smirking when he saw Nya cringe. Kai's sauce was incredibly hot and spicy. It hadn't taken too long to clean the kitchen, since Nya had only caused smoke and soot to cover the house and fortunately hadn't really burned anything. Still, it took at least an hour to clean the kitchen and make dinner.

Those were two things Nya was not allowed to help with since all her elegance and grace with creating and movement seemed to cease the second she entered the kitchen.

Once they finished, the trio spent the rest of the night the way they always did. Closing up shop and enjoying the night until Lloyd finally fell asleep, resulting in Nya carrying him upstairs and putting him to bed. Nya could only smile at the adorable sight.

"What?"

"Nothing." She shrugged her shoulders, still smiling. "Just wondering what you're still doing here?"

"What does that mean?" He asked confused, before turning back to Lloyd's sleeping form.

"I don't mean, here as in with the family, I meant here in general." She explained, sitting down next to her brothers.

"Let's face it, I don't fit in here." He groaned. "I mean, no one here gets me, and I have no one to talk to except you, Lloyd, and the librarian; and if you say Morro I swear to God I'll scream!" He threatened her and Nya burst out laughing.

"I wasn't going to, but remind me again why you don't like him?" She teased and Kai snorted.

"He's not my type."

"Poor Morro, maybe if he'd stayed the same, he might have a chance."

"I doubt it; honestly, I just don't wanna get married, I wanna be in love when I get married, not just settle down for the sake of it, or give myself up for money; I wanna travel and write and make my own happiness before I start looking for someone to share my happiness with." He explained. "Morro doesn't care about me, he just doesn't understand me! I want someone who loves me for me, and who can show me they love me like even without saying the words, I'll know they love me."

"Sounds cheesy," Nya replied with a teasing smile, before placing her hands on his shoulders. "Lloyd's right, you are a hopeful romantic." She giggled. Kai blushed before playfully punching Nya's arm. She just laughed before smiling sadly. "But seriously, Kai, that's a pretty amazing thought." She promised and Kai blinked at Nya's sudden change of tone. They sat in silence for a little while before Kai took a deep breath to settled his nerves.

"Nya? Do you think I'm odd?" He reluctantly asked, scared of the answer. His sister froze and looked at the brunette as if he'd suddenly grown an extra head.

"Is this because of what those idiots in town keep saying?" She asked angrily and Kai looked up to meet her saddened eyes.

"It's not that," He replied looking away. "It's just... I don't know, I obviously don't fit in, but sometimes I wish I did; then maybe I could find someone who actually understands me aside from you and Lloyd." He added and suddenly found himself wrapped in a warm hug by Nya before he was released. Nya's gaze rested on him with a look of firm affection.

"Kai, you're an artist like Mom and me, just with words, that means you see the world in ways other people can't or simply don't understand and it's your gift, to see the beauty and the horror in ordinary things, it doesn't make you odd, or strange, despite what the idiots in this town seem to think, just different, and there's nothing wrong with being different." She explained like it was a fact that needed to be memorized. Kai wasn't sure whether to smile or laugh at his silliness so he did both.

"Thanks, sis."

"Anytime," Nya laughed and got up before kissing Kai's forehead and then Lloyd's before turning to leave the room. "Night, big bro." She smiled and winked. "And remember, Lloyd and I are leaving tomorrow so we gotta get up early."

"I remember." He smiled, before getting up and retiring to his own room for the night...


	6. The Storm

"Please, Kai?" Lloyd clasped his hands together and begged.

"We've been through this, my answer isn't gonna change overnight," Kai explained again as he and Nya loaded the caravan with enough supplies for around a week's travel.

"Please!" Lloyd dragged out the word in a whine, flashing a wide-eyed innocent look when his big brother turned around.

"No." Kai smiled and gently petted Flame's mane. The stunning light brown colored stallion neighed. "Easy there, boy."

"Please!" Lloyd pleaded to flash his infamous pout that had even Flame whining.

"Lloyd, I grew up with you; that doesn't work on me anymore." He said calmly, causing his little jaw to hit the floor. Even Nya couldn't resist him when he pulled his stunning emerald eyes into a cute, pleading look.

"Ah, why not!" He pouted.

"Someone needs to stay and watch the shop, and since Nya's the one entering the fair's contest, she's out of the question, you're obviously too young to do it, so that leaves me." He explained smiling at Lloyd's cuteness.

"Or... or a third option, all three of us got and we can close the shop for a week." He suggested, hoping for some kind of an excuse.

"You know we can't leave the shop unattended that long, we already have at least five orders, and besides, I don't mind staying home."

"It's not fair."

"And here I thought I'd get to finally spend some time with my baby brother." Nya playfully whined mocking innocence, causing both of her brothers to snort in laughter.

"I still don't see why we can't just close the shop for a week." The youngest Smith pouted and crossed his arms.

"Because, even if Nya's newest creation wins the contest, we're still going to need some money for and after we move; unless, of course, you plan on starving, green bean," Kai explained smiling, stroking Flame's sleek, brown nose, affectionately.

"He's not going to give in, so come here and help me back," Nya told Lloyd. Groaning in defeat, he pushed himself off the side of the caravan and helped Nya load the supplies. Flame playfully rubbed his nose against Kai's neck and snorted in his hair and made the brunette laugh.

"You take good care of my little siblings, okay Flame?" Kai instructed as he turned around and nuzzled the stunning stallion. "And make sure Nya doesn't get lost again, you know how bad she is with directions." He teased.

"Hey!" Nya growled. Flame neighed in approval. "Even the damn horse is against me." She growled. Lloyd burst out laughing until she heaved him by his underarms and sat him on the driver's seat. "That's everything." She said, dusting off her hands. "We packed enough food, supplies, and medicine for at least a week, but we should be back in a couple of days; do you need anything from the fair Kai?"

"No, I'll be fine; the only thing I need to worry about is Morro and if all else fails Dr. Saunders is right down the road." He smiled. Nya smiled at her twin before climbing onto the caravan and grabbing Flame's reigns.

"We'll be back in a week." She promised.

"Bye Kai!" Lloyd exclaimed as he wormed his way to the front and waved.

"Don't get into trouble while we're gone!" Nya teased.

"I won't; good luck at the fair!" He called and waved goodbye watching Flame and the caravan trot off before disappearing down the road. "And don't get lost this time!" He shouted in a final attempt of teasing.

"Shut up!" Nya hollered, just before the caravan disappeared. That didn't stop her and Lloyd hearing Kai's laughter echoing after them...

* * *

"Nya?" Lloyd shivered as he wrapped himself in a blanket like a human burrito.

"Not a word," Nya growled; hard blue eyes meticulously scanned the enormous map spread in front of her. The square-shaped map was large enough that if she held it to its full length it would stretch from her waist to past her hair and spread her arms to their full length.

"Nya," Lloyd said again, annoyed.

"Lloyd..." Nya responded in a testy voice.

"We're lost!" He shouted in anger, no longer carrying about the consequences of igniting his sister's temper. The map crushed in Nya's hands as she clumped it in one hand and slammed it down next to her. Her teeth gritted in a hiss and her eyes turned to her younger brother, bright with anger. "What did I just tell you!"

"We're lost; you can't read a map, and it's pitch black!" He snapped. "If you're not going to admit it to yourself, and since Kai's not here to, I will!" He growled in frustration. Lloyd may not have been as strong-willed as his older siblings but he was more than capable of holding his own if pushed too far. Nya opened her mouth to yell and argue, but the words quickly died in her throat. The confident, know-it-all smirk on Lloyd's face made it impossible to find fault with his argument, and the proud sister hated that.

Frustrated at her bruised ego more than anything else, Nya chucked the crushed map in Lloyd's lap.

"Fine then, you navigate." She huffed and smirked at the baffled look on his face before it hardened. If that was the game she wanted to play then he was more than willing to prove her wrong.

"Any idea's Flame?" Lloyd asked as he turned to the large brown stallion. The horse shook his head. "That's alright." He smiled before flipping his legs over the side of the caravan, slipped inside, and dug through their supplies, before reemerging with a lantern. The angry, orange fire, trapped inside the glass prison, burned vigorously in the darkness. "We're heading to World Fair, right?" He asked. She nodded, looking around for any type of landmark to help identify their location.

It was hard to tell in the darkness, but the moonlight illuminated their surroundings enough that it looked like a forest.

The dark trees stood, like enormous skeletons, their decaying leaves were black and brown without the sun to illuminate them. The wind sent a shower of them into the air. The road withered into a dirt path, filled with heavy stones and overgrown with weeds, worn down by travel. He sighed in relief that he remembered to change Flame's shoes before the journey began. No sounds flooded the forest except for the cooing of an owl or the hiss of bat wings.

The skeletal hands of the trees stretched and pulled as if trying to create a net of branches above them blocking out all sun.

"Well, look at it this way, at least it can't get worse." She said humorously. No sooner had those words left her mouth, a loud crack of thunder roared across the sky in a high-pitched shriek, followed by a waterfall of water, multiple flashes of lightning streaking the night sky, and heavy black clouds overhead, with flashes of white and lemon yellow. If looks could kill, Lloyd's glare would've sent Nya straight to the pits of hell.

"You just had to ask, didn't you!?" He snarled. Lloyd's mood failed to increase as the night dragged on. Even though he'd retreated into the cavern, the rain had soaked him to the bone and he'd given up trying to rake the water from his soaked hair. "Where are we anyway!" He screeched and jumped as another streak of lightning slashed across the sky followed by the crash of thunder.

"I don't know, but we have to get out of this storm quick!" Nya yelled as loud as she could. Unfortunately, her voice was barely a whisper over the freezing wind, hissing like a banshee, the rain hammering the muddy dirt into the ground and the crashing thunder above their heads. The night had bathed the entire forest in a cloak of blackness; the only light they had available was the streaks of lighting slashing across the sky like jagged white scars.

Flame neighed and jumped in fear, as the thunder roared and increase.

Nya attempted to coax him but it did no good. The storm was savage and dangerous and the horse knew it. Lloyd screeched, as he tried to move to the front, only to be thrown back and forth as the caravan shook, due to Flame's sudden outburst. A loud burst of thunder roared to life with the force of an explosion. The sound vibrations shook the entire forest and broke that last of Flame's calmness. The horse went wild and ripped the reins from Nya's hand.

The caravan shook violently causing Lloyd to scream until he suddenly flew from the caravan, crashing to the carpet of leaves and mud.

Ignoring the horse, Nya bolted off the caravan to her brother's aid. She scooped the boy into her arms, checking him over for wounds. The icy rain hammered their skin like a thousand frozen needles. Another roar of thunder and Flame took off down the road, back the way they came, leaving the siblings alone in the storm.

"Oh no! Lloyd!" Nya called, worried for her little brother. Lloyd opened his mouth to reply but coughed wildly instead. Nya's heart skipped a beat, eyes bulging from shock and worry. She ripped off her thick, black trench coat and wrapped it around the smaller before pulling him to his feet. The coughing continued. She dragged him by the hand, willing them both not to stop. She couldn't until they at least found some form of shelter from the storm.

Rain hammered in diagonal lines, making it impossible to see.

The storm blocked out the light of the stars and moon making the forest completely black. She pulled him closer to her, hoping to give him further warmth. She stomped in the mud until her boots hit something solid. Caught by surprise, Nya looked down and found they were no longer on the mud-soaked road, but a cobbled stone path. Her eyes followed the pale silver stone until her eyes caught sight of an enormous iron-clad gate. Despite the grotesque, almost haunted appearance, she scooped Lloyd up bridal style and carried him towards the open gate.

The hinges screamed their protest as she pushed through the rusted black gate, before slamming it shut, in case any hungry beasts followed them.

The cobblestone path winded and curved towards an enormous castle. Nya's eye almost bulged out of her skull at the sight of it. It looked like it was right out of one of Kai's Gothic novels. Thirteen slim, round towers dominated the skyline of this massive castle and were connected by fortified, firm walls made of dark grey stone. Scattered thinly across the walls in a seemingly random pattern were symmetric holes for archers and artillery.

The roof was a complex jumble of black-slate cones, spires, trapezoids, and gothic styles windows with iron frames stacked on connected and linked by flying buttresses.

Pointed arches, oval and arch-shaped stain-glass windows, and arches, and different sized balconies littered the entire castle. She was sure the stained-glass windows looked beautiful in the daylight. The entrance jutted from the front of the house, carved like a giant hallway of off grey-black stones, like columns, the hallways, hazy glass windows lines with faded silver. The darkness and lightning flashing behind it only added to its haunted appearance but at that very moment, Nya didn't care.

Feeling her strength fading her, and seeing Lloyd, already unconscious and shivering, she forced her body to obey.

She could feel the strength leave her body, and she fell to her knees. Blackness danced in her vision before she collapsed to the ground. The last thing she saw or thought she saw before the darkness finally claimed her were two small creatures staggering towards them...


	7. The Master

"What the hell were you thinking!" A voice rang in Nya's head as she felt herself slowly regaining consciousness. She tried to shake the weariness from her mind and focus on the different voices echoing around her.

"Well, we weren't leaving them to freeze to death out in the rain all night." A soft voice argued.

"Yeah, and it's hard to ignore two people who suddenly dropped on your doorstep." A third voice with a laid back, casual tone to it added. The first voice shrieked in frustration.

"I don't care! I understand you guys wanted to help the poor things, really I do, but think about home! What do you think he's gonna do when he comes downstairs, finds us taking care of two strangers who are currently sitting on his favorite couch, after having trespassed! He isn't going to consider you're good deed!"

"Then don't tell him, Zane." A fourth, female voice entered, heavy with a hissing sound.

"Don't encourage them, Tox!" The first voice, Zane, scolded the woman, Tox.

"Come on Zane, we can't just leave them out in the storm? I mean we could just..." The soft voice argued timidly, pausing as if to ponder his options. "Just let them stay here the night and let them leave before he wakes up? The Master will never know."

"Jay..." Zane addressed the boy to who the diffident voice belonged too. "Look me in the eye and tell me you actually believe that will work?"

"Oh for FSM's sake, Zane." The unidentified voice howled, followed a stomping foot. "What do you suggest we do?" He challenged. Silence soon followed, allowing Nya time to recover and force her eyes to open. Haziness filled her vision as lights suddenly filled them but she blinked them away and sat up. Relieved to find Lloyd next to her. He was fast asleep, breathing normally, and wrapped in a warm blanket, and his clothes, hair, and skin bone dry.

She couldn't help but smile at how cute he looked sleeping.

She looked down at herself, not only to find she was no longer on the cobblestone path but a soft leather couch, covered by a thick fur blanket. The rainwater has been stripped to the last drop from her clothes, hair, and skin, much to her shock, though she refused to complain. Nya shook away the last waves of sleep and turned to thank their caretakers. But when she turned to the source of the voices she found not people, but four creatures standing in a circle.

One was a troll, one was a white yeti, and one was a green naga.

The last was a creature she didn't recognize. Its body was composed of lightning and with the form of a white and blue fox. Lloyd stirred awake, cutely rubbing his eyes, and shook his head adjusting to the light. The blue fox gently strolled over to Lloyd. It started climbing up the couch like a cat and perched itself on the headrest before cutely holding out a small paw for the boy to shake.

"Hi there, I'm Jay." It smiled and Lloyd's reaction was that of a wound-up spring. The small boy screamed and jumped and fell backward all in one motion, his hand missing the couch and fell into nothing causing him to crash to the floor in a heap. His eyes bulged out of his skull when the furry creature looked over the edge of the couch.

"You okay?" Jay asked.

"A talking fox?" Lloyd muttered from the floor, his voice speaking automatically, shaking. Nya was clearly frozen from shock.

"I'm not a talking fox! I'm a raijū!" Jay stomped his foot, rising to his feet insulted. He growled when he heard the troll and naga snickering, threatening to burst into laughter. Lloyd repositioned himself onto his knees just in time to meet toxic green eyes. The green naga smiled brightly.

"Hey! Name's Tox, what's yours? And before you ask, I'm a naga."

"I'm... Lloyd." He replied, momentarily forgetting to breathe, but answered nonetheless, before turning his he'd to his sister. She was frozen on the couch, with Jay floating around her head on a ball of electricity, waving his blue paws in front of her face.

"Hello? Is she mute?"

"She's in shock, you idiot!" The troll howled. "I'm Ronin, by the way."

"So who are you?" Lloyd smiled at the quiet yeti.

"I am Zane, a yeti with the power to control the element of ice," Zane explained, holding out a clawed hand to Lloyd. Lloyd shook the yeti's claw.

"I'm Lloyd and that's my big sister Nya." She smiled at his elder sibling. Though shock was evident all over her face, Nya held up a hand and waved.

"Oh for the love of FSM." Ronin smacked his forehead before a brilliant glow surrounded his body. A second later, the troll vanished and the light expanded until a tall human man stood in its place. He had wavy brown hair, dark brown eyes with the beginning of a beard on his face. He wore a dark cyan jumper with light brown pants and a large red hat. His arms crossed over his chest as he turned to the siblings.

"Is this better?" He asked but Nya fell out of her seat, still in shock.

"Perhaps this will help?" Zane suggested and a flash of turquoise and in place of the slender, white yeti stood a tall, strongly-built boy, around Ronin's height. He had platinum blonde, almost snowy white, hair that stood up straight in something like a crew cut and bright icy blue eyes. He wore white pants and shoes with a long-sleeved, cyan blue shirt under a navy blue knitted vest. The newly turned man offered a hand to the youngest Smith who was still on the floor.

Lloyd took it without thinking unable to take his eyes off the white-haired man standing before him.

Lloyd's eyes darted to Zane, then Jay, then Ronin and Tox. Tox and Jay looked at the other and smiled, before answering his unasked question. Jay landed on the floor, bathed in a navy blue light, before the blue fox he once was transformed into his true form. He was a young man with reddish-brown curly hair with brown eyebrows and light freckles. He usually wore a blue jacket with a white stripe over a white t-shirt and blue pants with an orange wooly scarf.

Despite his mature features his large, dark blue eyes and mischievous smile radiated innocence and youth.

They all looked to the naga. Tox smiled and a light green flash was the only warning anyone had before in the green naga's place stood a small, petite, almost delicate girl who was around Nya's age. She had long green hair tied back into a ponytail similar to Nya's with sickly, pale, yellowish skin and bright green eyes. Around her neck was a black, studded choker. She was wearing a ripped green tank top that was cut short to reveal her stomach and black, torn-up jeans.

Even though all of them were in human form they still had a few tell-tale signs that they weren't fully human.

Tox still had snake eyes and Ronin's ears were pointed and he had fangs poking out of his mouth. Zane still had a cold air around him and every time he exhaled the siblings could see his breath. Jay's limbs occasionally twitched with electricity.

"I'm sorry if I sound rude, but you three know they can't stay here! It's bad enough you even brought them inside!" Zane suddenly glared, dragged them back to the issue at hand.

"We didn't mean to intrude," Nya explained, "I just needed to find Lloyd shelter from the storm, we'll leave in the morning."

"Hell no!" Jay cut him off. "You're not intruding at all! Zane is just worried about the Master that's all, but he's asleep, just let us warn him quickly that you're here, and then—"

Suddenly an earth-shattering roar echoed through the castle shaking everyone within it to their knees. A tremor ran through Nya's body and Lloyd threw himself in his sister's arms, shaking in fear. The master was awake, and he was furious with the four creatures. A sharp gust of wind roared through the castle, silencing all the candles and shrouding everything in darkness. Despite the fear wracking their bodies the four creatures moved to hide their guests as best they could.

It was a vain attempt to hold their master's anger.

All four of them shook in fear. They knew full well the Master would never harm them, but just his presence alone was intimidating.

"Nya, I'm scared." Lloyd trembled as he tried to hide in his sister's coat.

"Shh, it'll be alright, I've got you." Nya soothed in a vain attempt to calm him down. But she screamed when suddenly a loud gust of wind like the beat of giant wings followed by the loud thump of someone landing behind him before the siblings or the creature could react, and then suddenly she came face to face with two blazing green eyes with black slits, not human, almost like a dragon's. Kai stories flashed in Nya's mind like old photographs.

Stunned mystification caused her eyes to bulge.

"That's not possible," She muttered as her mind began spinning and her body felt faint, but she stood her ground. She couldn't show fear with Lloyd in her arms. The master glared at her, those impossibly green eyes bore into her terrified ocean eyes like piercing arrows. Then he chuckled, a low callous laugh.

"Is that all you can do?" He spoke in a dark, humorous hiss. His green eyes aligned with the fire of hurt and rage that seemed so much older and deeper than his youth. "Stare at me, like I'm some kind of monster."

"It's our fault, not theirs! We're the ones who brought them here!" Jay, who had always been outspoken, tried in vain to defend them but the master's loud growl soon silenced him. Even Zane, who was one of the few who could speak to the master freely, shivered at his temper.

"We mean no harm," Nya replied. "My brother and I just needed shelter from the storm." She explained. The eyes left her and the moment they did, Nya felt as if some enchantment upon her had broken, until she realized the master has not even noticed Lloyd until that point. Before she could speak another world, Lloyd's screamed pierced the night, followed by Nya's when she felt Lloyd ripped from her arms. Something cold and metallic, wrap around her arm, prying them apart harshly.

"Please don't hurt my brother!" She screamed, without thinking. The master's eyes bulged in both horror and confusion before bitterness and humor once again filled them. Harsh laughter spilled from the master's lips shaking everyone to the core.

"Of course that would be your first assumption, too bad; I was going to be lenient, but since it seems you don't know how to hold your tongue, I suppose you'll need a harsher lesson." The master spoke arrogantly, in a tone that froze Nya's core, she couldn't see Lloyd in the darkness but could hear his tears and trembling. Each one ripped another piece of her apart.

"Zane, put them to bed, now." He ordered, glaring at Ronin, Jay, and Tox. Zane reluctantly nodded and obeyed. Eyes wide, the trio moved to flee, but Zane caught them before they could escape. In a flash of light, the boys and Tox human forms vanished and the three creatures fell to the floor. Again they attempted to make a dash for the nearest door, but the Zane caught them in ice before they could escape. They struggled if only to help their new friends.

The master simply snorted at their efforts.

"That's all they'll ever see me as." He muttered in a harsh voice, ceased all of their strugglings. The tone he said it in made it impossible to tell if he was speaking to the siblings or the other four creatures. "They'll only see me as a... a monster" He hissed in a voice of rage and bitterness, before scolding harshly at the trio's loud protests.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" He commanded before flying away dragging his thrashing and screaming prisoners with him, towards the tower. Guilt and remorse poisoned the four creatures. Even Jay could no longer struggle as Zane brought them upstairs to the room they shared for as long as they could remember. The guilt and harshness of their master's tone hurt more than the extremely light punishment ever could. Even worse were Lloyd's screams of terror echoing through the castle until the loud clang of the tower door slamming shut replaced it.

A gloom once again settled over the castle as their master retreated brokenly to his only sanctuary.

A silent shiver of hope was tearing thread by thread that they would ever be free. Or the master's true love would ever come to free their prince from the undeserving and unspeakable fate that was sure to come the following spring...


	8. The Proposal

Kai suddenly jumped out of his skin and stumbled into a heap on the floor. After untangling himself, Kai shook his head and found himself on the kitchen floor. His book lied open on the table and the chair he'd fallen asleep in tipped over when he stumbled. A loud knocking against the front door sent obnoxious vibrations through the entire house. He punched the floor in frustration. It took all his willpower not to destroy everything within two feet of him.

It wasn't the first time he'd fallen asleep reading a book, but it was the closest he'd ever come to seeing his dream lover or kissing him.

The obnoxious pounding on his front door only increased his already burning fury. The furious brunette stormed to his feet and stomped to the front door before unlocking it and throwing it open. He intended to take his rage on the idiot foolish enough to wake him from such a wonderful dream.

"WHAT!" He bellowed. Then his jaw hit the floor, out of shock more than anything else.

"Why hello darling," Morro flashed a seductive smirk, swaggering into the house. The duke's swagger wasn't in any way surprising; in fact, Morro visited the Smith's home frequently in his attempts to either seduce Kai or bribe Nya into a marriage contract. The fact that he'd invited himself in wasn't a surprise either. Being the Duke, he would claim it was his own right to be allowed in. Dismissing of him would be a direct insult and utter rudeness.

What shocked Kai to the core was that this time, however, and only this time, Morro had arrive draped in nothing but a wedding suit and was holding up a gorgeous, white-laced wedding dress to the brunette!

It was clearly tailored for Kai. Heck, it even had his full name stitched on the tag. The dress left the top of the shoulders uncovered, but didn't cover the sides and flows down into an elegant plunging neckline. It's a relaxed fit which makes the dress look comfortable, yet elegant and stylish. The arms had been left uncovered. A choice that added to the elegance and grace of the dress. The dress's waist was wide, but it was a comfortable fit. A small, elegant belt helped accentuate the waist without being too much.

Below the waist, the dress widened and has a bell style.

The dress reached well above the ankles and was slightly longer at the sides and back of the dress. The final touch was the white veil embroidered with flowers. At first, Kai was too shocked to say anything, but once his head cleared enough to think straight, he turned to the duke, glaring.

"Morro... what a pleasant surprise." He kept his voice civil solely out of respect for his relatives. The words rolled like poison off his tongue. Misinterpreting this as a sign of approval, Morro smiled a smile that curled at the corners.

"I'm sure." He brushed up against the brunette, leaning in close, causing Kai to take a step back. His green eyes flashed like a siren about to seduce its prey. It was a miracle of Kai's will that he hadn't already thrown the duke out of the house. He exhaled a breath when Morro pulled back and looked around his home. He sighed with disapproval. "Why do you live in this God-forsaken house, Kai? It's so... small and plain, and it's in the middle of the woods?" He complained.

Kai clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, his face was red with rage.

"I like my house; it's more than enough room for me, Nya, and Lloyd and we actually quite enjoy the walk to town and the woods; Nya finds it inspirational." He answered, doing his best to keep his voice civil.

"I wasn't asking if you tolerated it." Morro snapped, strolling towards him again. "I was saying..." He began until he caught his reflection in the hallway mirror. He stopped and smirked at the handsome god in the mirror, and ran his hand through the jet black locks, and straightened his bow tie. Kai scowled in disgust. Morro was as shallow as a puddle. Once the Duke was finished entertaining himself, he strolled back to Kai in that seductive swagger the brunette was beginning to hate more and more.

"I wasn't asking if you could tolerate it, darling, I simply meant that you deserve more." He smirked as he brushed against him causing him to take a long step backward. "Surely, you've always dreamed of something better than this?" He purred and Kai raised an eyebrow at this. He dreamed of getting out of this rat hole and of what he could learn, where he could go, and what he could see. Not what house he lived in. It took all of Kai's willpower not to roll his eyes.

Only Morro would care for something so frivolous.

"And what exactly do I deserve?" He demanded, expressionlessly, crossing the room to return to the kitchen. Morro's smile curled, taking a step towards Kai.

"You, my darling, deserve the best and only the best."

"And what is that." He asked, his neutral mask refused to fade.

"A grand, beautiful home filled to brim with treasures and endless elegant rooms." He swooned, brushing up against him again. Kai stepped back but Morro stepped forward. "A high title and position worthy of your status, the respect, and admiration of all the people around you, a house full of servants to wait on you hand and foot and, of course..." His fingers danced up Kai's chest, making him shiver in horror. Kai gripped the table, resisting the urge to grab the man in front of him by the neck and throw him out the window.

Respect for his family forced his temper under control.

"You need a spouse; someone who is gorgeous, educated, well-respected, highly thought of, someone who has known you your entire life; to ravish you each and every night and spoil you with whatever your heart desires." He grinned and Kai swore his skin turned green when the noirette said ravish. He couldn't even concentrate on the rest. By some miracle, he managed to hold his stomach and worm his way out of his grasp, unable to listen to Morro's ridiculous delusion of his wishes anymore.

Again his gift of words failed him, unable to find a world revolting enough to describe the spoiled and selfish dream world Morro was creating.

"And you know who that woman would be?" He asked as he cut him off when he escaped into the hallway.

"I can't even imagine." He retorted, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"Me, darling." The duke said gleefully, in a voice so giddy, it would make even the strongest of men, sick to their stomachs. "And all it takes is one little question…" He growled seductively as he pushed himself up against the brunette, as he skillfully backed up until he felt his back hit the front door.

"Morro, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" Kai gulped as his amber eyes almost bulged out of his skull in a mixture of anger, shock, and disbelief. Morro's eyes turned dangerous with impatience. The noirette braced his arms on either side of Kai trapping him between him and the front door, and never in his life had Kai cursed his short height more than he did then.

"You aren't very bright are you darling? Let's be clear then; I am going to marry you!" He exclaimed and his eyes lowered seductively, as he moved his face closer, not noticing Kai's free hand wrap around the doorknob.

"I do have something I want to tell you," Kai smirked, feeling morally obligated to all humankind for the good deed he was about to do. Smirking in victory, Morro closed his eyes and leaned forward waiting for Kai's lips to meet his. "OVER MY DEAD, ROTTING BODY!" He suddenly shouted in burning rage. A sharp turn of the doorknob and dodge to the left by Kai and Morro was so overcome by surprise. He screamed when he stumbled through the door and straight into the mud that had been acuminating after last night's storm.

The once stunning white wedding dress he had been holding was now completely ruined by the sticky brown mud.

A band suddenly roared to life, until a series of collective gasps filled the air. Kai felt his jaw drop. The entire town stood in front of his house dressed in tuxes and ball gowns. A gazebo, decorated in white roses with a priest holding a bible standing beneath it, stood at the edge of the property. A red carpet covered in white petals led from the gazebo to a few feet from the mud where the duke had landed. All the eyes of the town folks were glued to either Morro or Kai.

A few people glared at the brunette with jealously, while some were in tears.

Even a large, delicious-looking wedding cake had been placed in the center of a silk cloth-covered table and surrounded by goblets filled with red wine.

"You arranged an entire wedding behind my back?" Kai growled shaking with fury. All control vanished in a single instant. Furious amber eyes bore into Morro like pools of fire. "Get. This. Through. Your skull. Morro." He spat his name as if it were poison. "I. Will. NEVER. EVER. MARRY. YOU! Now get off my property and FSM help you if you come back because I will not be responsible for my actions!" He roared. He then slammed the door shut, sending the entire town into shock.

Morro's screams of fury were the last things he heard before he bolted through the house and out the back.

He crashed into the side of the deck, panting uncontrollably. Shock, anger, disgust, and a dozen other emotions burned through his veins all at once, consuming him and making it impossible to think straight. He couldn't even speak coherently or even say the word. The very realization was too horrific for his mind to comprehend. He knew full well what Morro wanted, but the man lived and breathed formalities, and that dictated one had to ask permission of the parents first then ask the person to marry them.

Morro was not bold enough to defy the traditions that dictated his place in society, only because they gave him all the power he wanted.

He had dropped hints, made advances, and whatever else to persuade Kai to marry him. But he had never shown up at his house demanding he accepted his proposal. The fact he'd arrived with a wedding dress and had the entire town outside his front door as if expecting Kai to marry him that second was even worse! Kai couldn't stand being the idea of being the husband of that pompous asshole. He jumped over the railing of the deck and bolted across the yard, so fast, the fields vanished under him and the trees were a blur.

He didn't stop.

It wasn't until he found himself skidding in the dirt, barely stopping in front of the pond and falling back into a bed of daisies and dandelions in their cotton form, that he finally calmed himself down enough to think. Kai panted like he ran a marathon. The blood still accumulated in his face, but his color was still pale. Tears streaked his cheeks, purely from shock more than anything else. He didn't know what was wrong with people. He grabbed his head and screamed as loud as he could in frustration, but only because he knew this far from town no one could hear him.

He didn't feel better once he stopped.

He felt embarrassed. Still, he fell back against the field and calmed himself down, wishing more than ever he'd given in to Lloyd's demands. Once he's calmed down, he sat up, bunched his knees against his chest, and buried his face in his hands. He wanted out of this God-forsaken dirt farm not to be trapped in it and being married to the duke until death did they part. He knew no one in this stupid town would accept or see him as anything other than what they wanted him to be.

They only saw him as another part of their perfect unspoken plan.

No one cared about his wishes or what he wanted. They only cared about how he fitted into their provincial grand design. He knew that would be the case since the day he arrived, but it still. How could it not when everyone around you drills and hammers it into your skull that who you are and everything about you is wrong? Kai wiped the tears from his cheeks, refusing to cry or shed a single tear for the town he'd been forced to call home. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much Vincent was writhing in his grave for what Morro did to the place.

Or who much his parents were kicking themselves for leaving the twins and Lloyd to fend for themselves.

Kai promised himself that he was getting out of there. He didn't care how did it or when. He was getting out of that place and was never coming back. His hand soon discovered a stem and he turned to it. A dandelion stood there. Its cottony seeds were in full bloom, ready to be swept away by the wind. A childish game of making wishes and blowing on dandelions flashed in Kai's mind. He carefully picked the stem and twirled the cottony blossom in his hand.

It was a silly thing to do, really, but at that moment it seemed right.

"I wish for someone to understand me; someone who will love me for who I am and nothing less." He wished before taking a large intake of breath and releasing it over the seeds. The cottony seeds dispersed in an instant sending strands fluttering into the distances, carrying with them his deepest wish. A sudden high-pitched cry broke his serenity. Kai's eyes widened in recognition. Sitting up, his fears were confirmed when a brown blob charged straight for him.

It was their horse, Flame, still attached to the caravan.

Kai was on his feet in a second. He bolted to the stallion. Flame skid to a stop, clearly not wanting to hurt his master, the cavern rolled and jolted forward then back in response. Kai grabbed the reigns and stroked the stallion, speaking soothing words until the horse was calmed. Flame's intelligent eyes gazed into Kai's sadly. The brunette's heart plummeted when he noticed the horse was missing its rider and no one was inside or on the caravan.

Panic swept through him as he turned to the stallion, with terrified eyes.

"Flame, where are Nya and Lloyd? Did you lose them? Are they hurt?" He asked the horse desperately. Understanding the boy's fear, Flame neighed loudly before gesturing his head back towards the forest. Taking in the boy's bewildered look, the horse tried to move as far as the caravan would allow towards the path he'd come from as if telling him to follow. Understanding what the horse was saying, Kai's eyes widened. His hands grabbed the reigns tying Flame to the caravan and he viciously untied the knots and set it on the floor.

He bolted across the field, charged into the house, and grabbed his black winter coat off the hook, and threw it on over a long-sleeved red shirt and black pants.

He pulled on his riding boots and grabbed the scarlet scarf Maya made him before running back outside. The stallion was still waiting for him and gestured for Kai to climb on. Once the rider was settled, with a flick of the reigns the strong horse took off. Determination fired Kai's blood at the thought of the only family he had left lost in the woods, alone and without help. The townspeople made no effort to hide their fears when it came to the large, frightening forest.

They had all heard nothing but horror stories about that place.

Dr. Saunders had once told to the siblings that many of the townsfolk believed the stories of a cursed family who used to rule these very lands over a century ago before a wizard cursed them. Dr. Saunders told those stories in an effort to convince people that stories were meant to entertain and not believe. The superstitious residents believed them nonetheless. Even Ray warned the siblings never to venture too deep into the woods.

"Go Flame!" Kai commanded, waving his hands in the reigns. Detecting the urgency in his voice gave Flame the sudden burst of speed he needed until the horse found himself in a familiar forest clearing. Sunlight had dipped beneath the trees lighting the darkness of the forest with an orange and violet glow.

"Is this the place?" Kai asked the horse. Flame neighed in response. Heaving himself over Flame's side, Kai slid down from the saddle and look around. The horse sniffed the ground for any traces of Nya and Lloyd but the storm had washed away most of the trail. Anything to indicate the direction Kai's siblings went was covered by rivers of mud and a carpet of leaves from the storm. Kai swore, bending down to examine the ground. The rain had washed a mountain of mud over the area, burying any traces of footprints that might have been left behind.

His eyes meticulously scanned the forest floor, for any clues as to what happened, until he finally left the road and searched the bushes.

His hand suddenly found something smooth and tough almost like leather. With a flutter of hope, Kai gripped the cloth and ripped it free from the branches and mud on top of it, and shook it open. He recognized the material instantly. He growled as he clutched Lloyd's coat so hard his knuckles turned white.

"They were here, Flame, and if I know Nya, if they're lost in a storm the first thing going through her mind is finding shelter, especially if Lloyd's hurt." He told the stallion. The horse nodded in agreement, before sniffing the ground again. Slowly, he started to walk, following whatever was left of the scent. Kai followed, searching for any sign as to which direction his siblings must've gone. A loud neigh knocked Kai out of his thoughts. Flame grabbed his scarf with his teeth and pulled the brunette teen toward another path in the woods, before gesturing his head to the path.

It was different from the others.

Unlike the dirt paths caked with mud and overgrown with plants, this one was smoothed and made of fine cobblestones. Small plants and weeds were dotted it but the ground remained in place and that was when Kai saw them. Footprints made from boots, sinking thickly in the mud, symbolizing the owner was carrying some extra weight when the prints were made.

"Flame, you are brilliant!" He laughed as he hugged the brown horse's neck, before climbing back on. With a snap of the reigns, the horse took off, following the path and the prints deeper and deeper into the woods, until at last the woods came to an abrupt end. The path led to an enormous gate of rusted black iron standing so profoundly. A grey cloak lied past the gates on the side of the road where its owner must've collapsed. Kai dismounted gracefully, pulling on Flame's reigns until his fingers intertwined with the bars of the gate.

His family was there.

They had to be. His eyes followed the path all the way to the end. His amber eyes bulged in stunned awe.

"It can't be..." He whispered as shock and disbelief reeled through his entire being. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in surprise. "That's... not possible."...


	9. The Boy in the Castle

Kai's amber eyes remained fixed on the huge castle before him. The structure stood dark, curved, and magnificent with an unearthly quality that invited doom, but drew unwary travelers to it like ships to a beacon in a raging storm. The two towers boarding the main castle and the multiple spikes, towers, and spires created a jagged line against the sky. Every gargoyle, every window, every arch, and balcony is a perfect mirror of the castle in Kai's mind.

"This is.." He trailed off, the words dying in his throat; his hands gripped the iron bars of the gate so hard the rust of the iron dug into his hands. The only difference between the two castles was this one was dark and foreboding, while the one he was used to was white and rich with life. "This place was only supposed to be a dream! It can't exist." He tried to tell himself and yet there it was. A perfect dark, mirror-image of the castle he saw every time he closed his eyes.

This was where Lloyd and Nya were trapped?

Shaking his head free of the trance once his gaze fell back on Nya's coat, Kai released his grip on the gate then took a few steps back. With a mighty kick, the gates swung open with a loud screech.

"Come on Flame." He called, but the second his foot stepped through the gates a chill ran through his body, either from coldness or fear. The stallion followed, though was much more cautious in his steps and a look of trepidation in his eyes. Kai scowled to himself. Even the horse thinks coming here is a bad idea. But he ignored his own apprehensions and bolted to the entrance.

"Stay here." He told Flame, before cautious climbing up marble steps. He approached the massive doors of the enormous castle, cautiously. The decoration was more lavish than any Kai had seen. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it must've been like centuries prior without age and weather to wither its contents. Swallowing a lump of hesitation, he pulled on the door knockers. The doors open just as the gate did, and once again, the second he stepped through the doors it was like he'd entered another world.

Despite the castle's outwardly withered appearance, the inside was nothing short of magnificent.

With slight hesitation in his step, the teen took a step down the stunning red carpet. Walls of glass were at both sides of him, hazy from years of neglect and caked with dust. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. He could only imagine how lovely the crystals and glass looked in the sunlight. He came to another set of enormous doors, much nicer and more elaborate than the ones outside. Vines and roses were elegantly carved into the fine oak wood, climbing up the sides of the door and surrounding the stunning carving of what looked like an enormous dragon.

Kai shook his head again, forcing himself to stay focused.

The doors flung open with a mighty shove and again he found himself within the depths of the castle. His eyes widened in shock. He had never imagined the inside, nor had he ever dreamed it, but even he had to agree it was far more magnificent than he could have possibly imagined. The front hall alone was huge and alight with enormous iron and crystal chandeliers filled with burning wax candles. Brass candle holders lined the inner hallway.

The small candle flames bathed the entire front entrance in a pale glow.

A majestic marble staircase spiraled in one direction leading above the first staircase to what looked like a balcony-hallway. The hallways were like crystal-lined marble chambers that could lead anywhere. The ceiling seemed to go up and on forever like a giant cathedral. The chains holding the chandeliers vanished in the darkness. Gargoyles and statues embedded in the huge walls above him were in scattered locations. The darkness and years of dust draped the entire castle in an eerie atmosphere, but the history of the castle itself spoke more than a hundred ancient tomes.

"Hello!" Kai called, hearing his voice echo against the empty hallways. "Does anybody live here? Hello!" He called again. His own voice boomed around him, the only drop of sound among the room of silence. "I'm looking for my brother and sister! Hello!" He tried for the third time but still got no answer. Confident that the castle was indeed abandoned he turned to the left towards the first corridor. He started calling Nya and Lloyd's names, unable to shake the feeling that someone was watching him in the main hallway...

* * *

"What on earth were you and Tox thinking, Jay?" The white and black-haired man in disappointment. He also had a goatee and black eyebrows that looked similar to Kai's. He wore a gray and tan robe-like attire with a leather collar and belt. Jay was currently lying on his back, atop the dining room table, since it hadn't been used in well over a century. Ronin was pacing around in front of them. Zane was in the other room talking to the castle's seamstresses to pay them any attention.

"I know! I know! I'm sorry!" Jay apologized but it was muffled by his hands covering his face. He sat up and braced himself on his arms. "Look me in the eye, Neuro, and tell me you could've left them freezing to death in the middle of a storm?" He asked as his dark blue orbs met Neuro's brilliant onyx ones. Neuro sighed, running a hand through his hair. The white and black wings he adorned in his Tengu form flexed and flapped in thought. Even long before he'd come to the castle, it was rare a single dark thought filled his mind or he wished malice on anyone.

The very thought of him leaving two innocents alone to fend for themselves and being able to cope with such a choice was nothing short of laughable.

"No, I couldn't even if I wished to." He sighed, turning his teacup in his hands. Jay slid off the table, and gulped down his cold tea in one gulp, hoping the mixture would ease the stress barraging his mind. Sadly, it did nothing.

"He shouldn't have been so harsh though; if he had only given me two seconds to explain..." The ginger-haired teen muttered as he gripped the table so hard his nails dug into the wood. Rising to his feet, Neuro placed and comforting hand on Jay's shoulder. He knew Jay blamed himself for what happened the previous night and felt guilty.

"I won't deny his decision was and is a dreadful mistake, but you know he has his reasons; he suffers more a day than any of us could ever understand." He said as Jay collapsed in a chair, and crossed his arms.

"Doesn't mean he has to be so harsh!"

"I warned you." Ronin snapped. "Didn't I warn you? I told you he'd react that way!" He exclaimed as he ran his hands through his brown hair and gripped the locks tightly. "What were you thinking, Jay! Bringing them inside is one thing, but what were you thinking! Changing their clothes, letting them sleep on the master's favorite couch, playing with the boy!" He ranted, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be hospitable!" Jay retorted. Neuro sighed in annoyance, doing his best to tune out the two boy's argument, if only for his own sake and sanity...

* * *

In the other room, Zane had just finished speaking with the castle's seamstresses by the time Nelson burst into the room, wild with excitement. Nelson was a young boy around Lloyd's age with light brown hair combed to the side. He was wearing a purple sweatshirt with white printed on the back and light blue pants. The seamstress was in her true form, a stunning woman with elegant waves of bleached white hair tied in a bun. Her stunning sharp emerald eyes radiated fierce independence but softened when she saw Nelson.

She always had a soft spot for the younger members of the staff.

"Where are you off to in such a rush?" She asked, sweetly.

"Harumi, Zane, you're not gonna believe this!" Nelson practically bounced with excitement. "There's a boy in the castle!"

"We're aware of that, Nelson; he's in the tower with his sister," Zane responded, without taking his eyes off the clipboard.

"Not them, Zane!" Nelson corrected. "There's another boy in the castle! He's here looking for them!"

"Are you sure?" Harumi asked, eyes wide with surprise.

"I'm positive!"

"That's enough, Nelson!" Zane scolded. "We all have work to do including you; no time for stories."

"But Zane—"

"Enough Nelson!" The yeti snapped, but before Zane could say another word, another servant burst into the room with a wide giddy grin. It was a woman with long black hair that was tied back in a tall ponytail with pale, almost grey skin and violet eyes. She wore a dark purple biker outfit. Harumi jumped in surprise at her sudden entrance.

"Ultra Violet! You'll give me a heart attack!" She scolded her wife. Though Harumi and Ultra Violet were the same age, Violet always acted so much younger.

"What is it, Ultra Violet?" Zane asked, sternly, clearly not in the mood for any more surprises since the previous night.

"THERE'S A BOY IN THE CASTLE! AN ACTUAL BOY!" She shrieked, almost bursting with happiness. Harumi's jaw hit the floor. Zane's eyes bulged out of his skull.

"I told you so!" Nelson screamed with a glare and a wide smirk...

* * *

Neuro's hand clenched the teacup and plate so hard it almost shattered. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in frustration, unable to decide if he should yell at the two arguing boys in front of him or drag them upstairs by their ears.

"I don't care if the Master is being unfair, that's already been established! Fact is you put them in danger!" Ronin accused.

"Well excuse me for trying to be nice!" Jay retorted meeting the man's angry gaze.

"Figures, the first two people to enter this fucking place in a hundred years, and we get them both imprisoned in a tower for the rest of their lives!" The troll snarled as he turned away and started pulling at his hair in frustration. Jay growled in anger. Neuro slammed the cup down on the table.

"Silence the both of you!" He scolded them both, causing both of them to turn their heads. They knew full well of the temper that was hidden behind Neuro's polite and stoic appearance, but it was still a shock when it surfaced. "If you two do not refrain from arguing this very second, so help me God I will—"

"Nya?" An unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed nearby. All three servants froze and bolted towards the source of the voice, their anger was forgotten. A flash of red passed the dining room entrance. Jay and Ronin met eyes before throwing themselves up and gripping the side of the wall. Their eyes widened and their mouths gaped in shock.

"It's a boy!" Jay announced.

"No, ya think?" Ronin retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What is he doing here?" Neuro asked as he blinked in shock, bewilderment, and worry. A giddy smile crossed Jay's face, and he started bouncing up and down in happiness.

"I knew it! I knew it! Don't you see?" He explained dancing around a bewildered Ronin. "He's the one! The one we've been waiting for! The one who's going to break the spell!"

"Jay, we've been through this, you're optimizing again!" Ronin said extremely patiently and panicked as if he were talking to an insane asylum patient.

"And it's paid off!" Jay beamed before he suddenly bounced before dashing to catch up to their guest.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Neuro called, then cried out in shock when a purple dash crashed into him and another dove over him.

"Sorry, Neuro!" Nelson apologized over his shoulder. Tox bolted after her smaller friend in her naga form, before transforming back into her own human form without halting in her step. Before Neuro could voice a protest, several gusts of wind bolted past him, sending him to the floor again. The first one came from a small glowing pixie with purple wings and a familiar, giddy grin. She was followed by a stunning woman with long white hair, pointed ears, talons for hands and feet, and jade green feathered wings growing from her arms.

Another fairy and a purple naga followed closely behind her.

"Sorry, Neuro, we're in a rush!" The purple pixie, Ultra Violet, called over her thin, amethyst wings.

"What the hell is going on?" Neuro demanded.

"They're a boy in the castle!" The fairy paused in mid-flight to respond, before following the others. Neuro remained sitting on the floor, his jaw slacked in shock, and his eyes bulged with confusion.

"Has everyone lost their minds?"...


	10. The Bargain

"Nya! Lloyd! If you two are here, please answer me!" Kai screeched desperately, growing more and more worried. "Dammit, where are you two!" He shouted as loud as he could. A loud squeak screamed behind him, and Kai turned around in a flash. A wooden door with iron bolts, he hadn't noticed before, creaked open. Against his better judgment, Kai approached it, caution in each guarded step.

"Who's there!" He demanded. He received no answer but found himself in another chamber that contrasted with the rest of the castle. The room closely resembled a tower entrance, but the stone was not made of marble like the rest of the castle. The light of an oil lamp on the wall faintly lit the room in a pale orange glow, barely illuminating the silhouette of the staircase spiraling to the top of the castle. Shadows danced in the corner as if beckoning him to follow.

Every single thought told him to turn on his heels and go the other way, but the thought of his siblings possibly trapped in such a gruesome place quickly altered Kai's decision.

He grabbed the lamp from its hook and raised it above his head. A complete sphere of orange light surrounded him as he cautiously making his way up the stairs. The tower walls felt dank and wet beneath his hands. The air was heavy with the disgusting stench of mildew. Grime covered the walls in some places while flecks of moss speckled enormous stone blocks in others. Huge blocks formed the steps, built on top of the other in a spiral, so large it was like walking two steps at a time.

Barely any space existed between the two walls except for the width of the staircase.

This caused the uneasy feeling of claustrophobia to creep up Kai's spine, but he forced it away. Shadows danced in front of him, like small creatures struggling up the steps. The second their shadows left his sight, they stopped, as if waiting for him to follow. Kai blinked at the strange shapes but shook his head to relieve his worry.

"Nya! Lloyd!" He howled again, his voice bouncing loudly against the stone of the tower, reflecting a harsh echo. Kai increased his speed as fast as he could up the enormous steps. Once he reached the top he stopped and held his ground at the sound of panting. Once he made sure he had the advantage if anyone attacked him, he turned around and held up the bright lamp, but saw nothing. They made it to the top of the staircase faster than expected.

Both Jay and Ronin faltered until they both collapsed to the ground.

Their legs were very sore from running up such a long flight of stairs and their lungs panted desperately for air. Tox slithered up the last of the steps, shaking and panting with the last of her strength before finally collapsing in a heap on the floor. They had quickly hidden when the loud footsteps of Kai's heavy boots charged up the stairs. The three hissed at the brightness of Kai's lamp. The boy barely noticed, however, clearly too worried about his brother and sister.

Once Kai shrugged the sound off as rats, the lamplight and moonlight peeking through the windows told him he was in the highest room of the tower.

The stone blocks melded into a slate cone that seemed to go on forever. Glassless windows form gaping holes all over the roof allowing moonlight to spill into the room. The moonlight highlighted the iron bolts, locks, and bars upon the heavy wooden door on the other side of the room, clearly marking the tower as the dungeon. The smell of mold and grime hung in the air, creating a revolting stench. The floor was littered with straw and small broken pieces of the wall.

The dim light of Kai's lamp danced across the room.

He moved his hands to cover his mouth in a weak attempt to block out the horrid stench. The sound of crying quickly froze him in place, followed by the soothing shushing sounds he knew by heart. Keys was the first thing that popped into Kai's mind. He searched frantically for any signs of a key. Kai searched around until his eyes spied the keys on the hook. Practically leaping across the room, Kai clumsily snatched the keys from the hook and fiddled with each one until with a joyful click the lock came undone and Kai swung the door open.

Anger, relief, and sheer joy bombarded him all at once.

Nya and Lloyd were sat on the floor of the dark, dank, rancid prison chamber, leaning beneath the only glass-less window in the room. Heavy manacles connected to about five feet of thick chains shackled their ankles to the wall. Both were shivering from the freezing temperature, both the stone and the open window caused. The fact that neither had their coats didn't help to ease the chill. Nya and Lloyd looked up in shock and slight fear when the door opened.

Nya wrapped her arms securely around Lloyd as the small boy cried in her chest and lap.

Their eyes widened even more at the sight of, no their capturer, but their third sibling standing in the doorway.

"Kai!" Lloyd cried out. Wasting no time Kai dashed over to them. The second his knees hit the floor, Lloyd threw himself into his brother's arms and wrapped them rightly around Kai's waist, crying loudly. Unable to do anything else but kneels there, Kai returned the gesture and stoked the little's one's bangs until he calmed down.

"It is okay, I got you." He promised when Lloyd calmed down enough to look at him. The only one not smiling or emotional at the trio's reunion, which they both soon noticed, was Nya. Instead, the only female Smith sibling looked furious, her blue eyes burning with anger, fear, and remorse, and her entire body was shaking like she didn't know whether to strangle her twin or hug him until he burst.

"You should not have come here." She managed to choke out after many failed attempts to speak. It was directed at Kai, but the tone made Lloyd clench his older brother tighter.

"What the hell does that mean? You think I would just leave you two to rot?" Kai demanded. Nya didn't argue with him, instead, she just grabbed the keys Kai dropped when Lloyd hugged him and threw them at him.

"Listen to me; take Lloyd, get out of here, go back to the town, and don't. Ever. Come back." She ordered, her tone held no room for argument, but Kai was never one to follow orders.

"I am not leaving either of you here." He declared sternly.

"Dammit Kai, for once in your life, do what I tell you! You and Lloyd have to get out of here before he gets back; if he finds you here he'll-"

"HE ALREADY HAS!" A booming voice thundered throughout the prison tower. Kai froze as the chilling voice stiffened his spine. Lloyd screamed and buried his face in the safety of Kai's chest and Nya, for the first time in her life, was scared speechless. Even the three people who Kai hadn't noticed were outside started shaking. All three backed themselves against the wall, hiding. Kai didn't turn around. Instead, he slowly got to his feet, holding Lloyd securely in his arms, wrapped in his coat, and held him tightly.

He stood and turned around to face Nya and Lloyd's capture.

The man had hidden in the shadows, only his eyes were visible. Two striking orbs of jade glowing unnaturally in the darkness. He watched as those eyes turned to the three people Kai hadn't noticed before, shivering in the corner.

"Tox, go help, Nelson." The voice commanded. The green-haired woman burst from the room and vanished down the stairs in less than a second. When his gaze met the remaining two, both boys swallowed loud lumps in their throats. "I'll deal with you two later." He stated before turning his frozen gaze to the siblings. Kai felt a shiver run up his spine when those green eyes fell on him, but he held his ground.

"Who are you?" He demanded in a calm, unreadable voice.

"You're in no place to be making demands." The voice mocked, arrogantly. "But if you must know, I am the master of this castle and all within its walls."

"Are you the ones who kidnapped my brother and sister?" Kai demanded. His face was a neutral mask and his amber eyes were hard and unyielding.

"I've done nothing of the sort." The shadow removed itself from the wall and moved towards them without leaving the darkness, extremely cautious of the moonlight bathing Kai and his two siblings. "You're siblings trespassed on my property and entered this castle without my permission; therefore, as the master, I have every right to keep them both here until I decide to let them leave, or until they die, whichever comes first." He spoke in a harsh, arrogant tone.

"Trespassing doesn't warrant such a punishment!" Kai shouted, clenching his free hand at his side. The shadow raised an eyebrow at the fierceness burning in those amber gems, clearly intrigued by the brunette.

"It matters not, ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the laws; if you wish to grant your sister's request, however, I'll allow you take your brother home, but either way, one of you is staying and not even your persistence will convince me otherwise." The shadow stated firmly. Kai was about to retort until Lloyd started coughing in his arms. He'd obviously been trying to hide it, but the loud choking coughs and heavy pants alerted everyone in the room to his condition.

In a second, Kai's expression went from fury to fear as he fell to his knees and rearranged the smaller boy in his arms.

As he did this, the blond boy released the worst coughing fit even the Master of the castle had ever heard. Kai felt like punching the floor.

"He can't stay here, Kai, he'll only get sicker," Nya explained, lying Lloyd down in her lap, as the boy tried desperately to refill his lungs.

"What's wrong with him?" The Master asked taking a step forward, but Kai was on his feet in front of his family before the shadow could get any closer.

"He was born with asthma." He explained. "The doctor said it should work itself out as he gets older, but whenever he has an attack it has to be controlled or he could get worse!"

"Then give him some medicine."

"I don't have it." Kai retorted before turning to his sister. "Where is it? I know you packed some when you two left, I checked three times." He reminded her, but Nya bit her lip.

"We did have it, but... it was in the carriage." She replied and Kai mentally swore. The medicine was still in the carriage. The carriage he untied from Flame's reigns before they rode into the woods. Swallowing his pride, Kai turned back to the master.

"Lloyd can't stay here; he'll die if he does."

"Then take him back to your town." The master ordered. "I won't stop you, I already said only one of you has to stay."

"I'm not leaving Nya here either." He said firmly. The master raised another eyebrow, stepping closer, making his silhouette and eyes visible but nothing more.

"Then what would you propose, I do?" He asked, turning to the smaller boy who was shaking in his older brother's arms. He doubted Lloyd truly was as sick as his brothers feared, but something had to be done about that vicious cough. But first, he wanted to see how the youth in front of him would react. His eyes fell back on Kai. This one intrigued him, challenged him with no fear, met him blow for blow with a spirit that refused to break, and fierce independence.

Even now, despite his obvious fear for his younger brother's life, his sister's freedom, and his anger at himself, the boy refused to show any sign of weakness.

The Master was interested to see just how far that spirit would go, as the master watched the amber-eyed teen calculate a plan in his head.

"How about a deal?" Kai said, at last, lifting his head to meet the Master's eyes. Blazing amber was burning with all the fire the master loved, bore into his orbs of cold green. The master raised an eyebrow, curious.

"I'm listening."

"You said one of us has to stay here, right? But you never specified who." He explained. The Master's brightened curiously as a smile slowly crept across his face.

"I don't believe I did." He admitted and Kai wanted to snarl at the arrogance in his voice. Nya must've figured out where Kai was going because she stiffened and protested immediately, but Kai ignored her.

"Then how about this: you let Lloyd and Nya return to the village and never bother either of them again, no imprisonment, no nothing." He bargained, not a glimmer of doubt or hesitation in his eyes.

"You're terms are steep, little candle." The Master said as he circled him, keeping in the shadows. Kai stood his ground. The master was testing him, looking for any sign of weakness, like a predator searching for its prey's weak spot before making the killing blow. "I assume you're willing to offer me something just as valuable in return?"

"No." He said bluntly. "Nowhere near as valuable but it's all I have got to bargain with."

"Very well, but I can't agree unless I know what it is you are offering me, candle?" He replied and Kai shivered when he felt a claw-like hand brush one of his spikey brown bangs behind his ear. He already knew what Kai was going to say, he just wanted to hear him say it.

"You promise to let them go, no tricks, not double-cross, no loopholes, not nothing, and... you can have me, instead."

"KAI NO!"

"That is an awfully steep sacrifice, candle." He said and Kai could hear the smirk in the Master's voice. "You know you'd be giving up everything right? You'd be trapped here until I decide to let you leave and you'd never see your family or your home again."

"It'd be worth it." He said immediately.

"But that's not all." The master continued. A clawed hand tugged on Kai's wrist pulling him into the shadows despite his struggle, while the opposite held his chin forcing him to meet the Master's eyes. "I saw it the moment I first laid eyes on you; you're a spirit as wild as an untamed falcon, a wildfire that burns vigorously with freedom! If you agree to this, you'd be throwing all that away; you'd never be free again and you'd be confined to this castle and the grounds, or, if I ordered it, this very room." He whispered darkly in Kai's ear.

It was a miracle Kai managed to not shiver when he felt those cold, scaly, clawed hands firmly grasp his shoulders.

He was testing him and Kai knew it. Testing his weakness and exploiting everything he loved, knowing he was requiring the teen to sacrifice everything while he lost nothing. Waiting for him to weaken and refuse. Waiting for him to break. Clenching his fists at his side, Kai closed his eyes forgetting his own desires and focusing solely on his siblings. Lloyd needed medicine and he needed Nya to take care of him. That was how it had always been since Ray died.

Kai and Nya would take care of all three of them financially, but only Nya would take care of him and Lloyd emotionally.

They'd both be safe, free from this nightmarish lord, his dark prison, and all it would cost him was everything he ever loved and cared for.

"Come into the light and let me see you," Kai whispered, without turning around.

"What!?" The Master roared as he released his shoulders.

"No disrespect, I just wish to see who it is I'm signing my life away to before I tell you my decision." He explained. It wouldn't matter either way, but if this guy thought he could keep Kai in the dark forever, he was mistaken.

"Swear to me you won't scream." He said after a moment of silence. Kai nodded and braced himself for the worst as the Master stepped into the moonlight. Immediately, Kai looked up. For all his arrogance and selfishness and harsh deeds, the Master was a breathtaking creature. He was human, yet at the same time, he wasn't. The Dragon Lord was indeed the right name. He wasn't human or a dragon, but both. He stood seven feet tall, easily towering over Kai.

A shaggy mop of black hair on the top of his head revealed two pointed fin-like ears.

His dragon fangs glittered pristine white in the moonlight, protruding from his upper lip, visible when he smirked though his face betrayed no emotion. His human body stood firmly with large muscles. Instead of human skin, a clutter of black and dark orange scales formed a spike at both his elbows to his wrists. Smooth dragon scales looked like armor at first glance. The dragonskin glistened down his arms. Sharp black claws that could easily rip him to shreds were at the end of his long fingers.

Kai shivered, remembering them on his shoulders and holding his chin a few moments ago.

Just below his back from both his shoulders, they appeared. Two enormous dragon wings were as big as he was, membraned and muscled, like a bat's, and were topped with a small black spike. They were strong and more powerful and looked like they could consume the brunette in their leathery grasp. They were glowing the same black and dark orange as his scales. Unable to control his body anymore, Kai scanned the rest of the Dragon Lord's body.

His top half was covered by a sleeveless black jacket trimmed with silver and closed in the front.

Behind him, Kai could see a large, muscled tail, glistening with black scales, moving on its own accord, and the end curled like a whip. Moving his eyes from the lethal abdomen, Kai scanned down the Dragon Lord's legs and feet. Black pants tightly hugged the strong legs leaving little to the imagination. More scaled armor covered his legs from the knees down, forming a pair of boot-like dragon legs resembling his claws, but with stronger paws and shorter nails.

"Well?" The Master asked, forcing Kai's gaze to return to those green eyes. Immediately he was trapped by the paralyzing gaze of those sharp orbs with only black slits for pupils. Dragon claws, dragon scales, dragon wings, dragon eyes. Immediately Kai knew where they were, who the Master was, and what was happening and the realization made him dizzy and unable to move. It took all his willpower not to faint as he tried to remember the hybrid's name.

"Y-You're Prince Cole B-Brookstone, the Dragon L-Lord." He stuttered out eventually. Surprise suddenly filled the dragon's eyes, as if shocked someone knew who he was without having to explain his past. But as quickly as it appeared, a smirk replaced it. Beauty, fire, and brains. He truly was a rare jewel.

"That is correct, my candle," Cole smirked, but his eyes bore into Kai's with no emotion, noticing Kai's fierce resistance as he tried desperately not to show fear or desire. "So what do you say now?" He commanded, seductively. His claws danced under Kai's chin making him whimper slightly. "Do we have an agreement?" He asked, trying to intimidate him, but still, Kai refused to show any weakness.

"Kai no!" Lloyd pleaded, through another violent cough.

"You have my word." Kai choked in a whisper.

"Done!" Cole roared releasing the teen and ordering the servants at the door to release Nya and Lloyd. Unable to hold himself up any longer, Kai's knees give way and he collapsed to the floor, closing his eyes and buried his face in his hands to keep tears from falling. The second Jay and Ronin undid their chains, Lloyd threw his arms around his older brother crying, pleading with him to come back. All Kai could do was hold him. He felt Nya hug his shoulders, not saying a word, knowing nothing she said would change his mind.

"Dammit, Kai." She snarled quietly. She didn't have time for anything else. Cole grabbed the back of her cloak, and called for two other servants, and threw her to the two guardsmen.

"Skylor, Chamille, take them back to the village." He commanded before turning back to Lloyd and Kai on the floor. "Time to go, little one." He said in a more civil voice.

"NO! Kai has to come too!" Lloyd screamed, clenching Kai tighter.

"It's alright, green bean, I'll be fine, just go with Nya, alright?" Kai said with forced a smile but Lloyd saw right through it and just continued to cry. With a sigh, Cole snatched the smaller away from Kai and, with a little more care, handed him to Chamille despite Lloyd's struggling and coughing.

"Get them there as fast as you can, and make sure he gets his medicine," Cole ordered the two monsters, before pointing to Lloyd. The two nodded and left, dragging Nya and Lloyd with them, looks of remorse on their face as they tried to block out the pleads and cries coming from all three siblings. Kai made a dash for the door but Cole already locked it. He wrestling with the door and screamed at the top of his lungs before he gave up. He sprinted to the window and clenched the stone windowsill, looking for the guards.

He finally found them, but could barely see them from the tower prison.

He could see his siblings fighting with them, as the guards held a now blindfolded Nya and Lloyd in their arms and took them to the forest. They would make sure they couldn't find their way back to the castle but could get back to the village. His heart shattered when he saw Lloyd, crying and screaming and shouting his full name. He was so scared, but he had no fear for himself or Nya. His fear was a direct result of his beloved brother's unknown fate as the lord's prisoner.

Kai collapsed to the floor in a shaking heap, curled his arms around the window sill, and buried his face in his arms.

He did nothing to stop the river of tears from falling. They were tears of anger, grief, remorse, and loss. He had always hated crying, considered it a weakness, but it seemed impossible not to cry at that moment. The window served as a permanent reminder of the outside world that was forever barred to him since chances were, he'd never set foot outside his current cell. He had signed his life away. His family, his dreams, his freedom, everything he ever held dear, to a devilish creature who knew nothing of sacrifice.

Now was the perfect time to cry...


	11. The Cerise Room

Kai's defiant gaze and wails of despair echoed in Cole's mind even as he followed Skylor and Chamille out towards the courtyard, to make sure the two guards returned both of Kai's siblings home safely. Both of them begged and pleaded for their brother's return, even offering the same deal, but Cole refused them. The smaller one could barely speak as his coughing fit returned with force.

"Get going both of you!" Cole ordered, as Skylor and Chamille secured Nya and Lloyd and took off to the forest. Knowing his servant's speeds, Cole assumed the two humans would be home in a manner of minutes, and plenty of time to make sure the smallest boy got his medication. Sighing, Cole turned on his heels and returned to the manor. He couldn't help but feel the pain of guilt wash over him as he heard his prisoner's wails, but he brushed it off.

The brunette will just have to get used to it. He concluded that as he stormed back up the spiraling staircase to the tower.

"Um... Master?" A timid voice said, causing him to pause.

"What, Jay?" He snarled, turning to the blue fox.

"Well, uh, we were just wondering which one of the guest rooms we should be preparing for Kai, you know?" He gulped as he tried to steady his voice. Cole had never harmed or hurt any of his servants and didn't ever plan to, but the lord's presence and commanding authority made it difficult to not feel nervous in his presence.

"And why would you all be wondering that?"

"Well, we just figured since Kai is going to be staying with us for some time, that maybe he would be more comfortable staying in a proper room." Nelson timidly explained. Cole snarled, causing Jay to squeak and took a step back.

"Or not."

"Cole!" Someone snapped and Cole turned to meet a scowling young yeti. Even though he was slightly shorter than Cole, Zane still stood tall, but it was the way Zane said Cole's true name, that even he sometimes forgot in the depths of his mind, that herald his attention.

"Zane!" Nelson cried and abandoned his creature form for his human one and hugged the yeti. Zane gave him a small smile before his neutral mask returned when his eyes met his Master's.

"Nelson, I believe me and the master have other matters to discuss at the moment." He said. Unlike the younger servants, Zane was one of the few who had no fear of Cole.

"Really, and what matters?" Cole joked arrogantly despite Zane's scowl deepening.

"I certainly hope you don't plan on leaving that poor boy locked up and freezing to death in that tower all night?" Zane scolded, making no effort to hide the disdain in his voice.

"And why not?" Cole challenged, with a sarcastic tone. "He is certainly strong enough to handle it, and besides, he had no trouble screeching at me when he made the deal." He snarled.

"Master please," Neuro pleaded as he flew in, hoping to calm his Master's temper. "The boy lost his family and his freedom in less than an hour; anyone would be upset in his position."

"Besides, your curse's deadline is in less than five months, Master," Nelson said as he kept his face towards Zane, so Cole couldn't read his emotions. "It would be a waste to have your last hope of breaking the spell freezing in a tower, who knows some, curtsey may inspire him to follow suit; he most certainly wasn't this feisty when I first saw him." He explained and Zane resisted the urge to smirk, knowing exactly what the werebear was trying to do.

"Anyone would be feisty if they found their family locked up, and he is a bit of a mess, a good night's sleep and a hot meal might help him relax," Jay added.

"Hmm, you all seem to have put too much faith in a child who claims to hate me." Cole chuckled, bitterly.

"Cole, are you saying you don't care if the curse is broken or not! You know what happened to you if it isn't!" Zane hissed, growling at his stubborn master, more out of concern than anything else.

"I'm well aware of that, Zane, I simply don't see the point in raising everyone's hopes when they'll only be shot down in the end," Cole replied in a very detached manner. "But if it will put you all at ease; no, I don't plan on keeping him in the tower." He snapped and stormed towards the tower staircase. "Go prepare the Cerise room."

"The Cerise room?" Jay gasped as everyone, even Zane's, eyes widened with surprise.

"It suits him, go get the others and set it up, now." He ordered and watched the servents move. "Nothing too over the top, he won't like that," Cole ordered, turning back towards the tower and ignoring all the baffled glances his servants were sending him. "He's not some helpless docile kid who'll just accept his fate and be happy with a pretty room." He explained without stopping or looking behind him before he vanished up the tower steps.

"That was a very clever but a very risky move, Nelson." Zane half scolded when the Master was out of hearing range.

"I know, but the Master is always so stubborn because he's lonely, who knows, maybe spending time with Kai will be good for him?" The werebear boy smiled, optimistically...

* * *

The iron door slammed open with a loud clang when Cole shoved it. His dragon eyes scanned the tower dungeon for his captive. He found him right where he left him, collapsed in front of the windowsill, still crying. Cole felt his heartstrings wrench at the sight of the strong-willed youth looking so broken, but shook it away.

"Kai?" He called. No sooner has the teen heard his name did he lookup. Wild amber eyes blazed with anger and sorrow; visible tears marks on his cheeks. Kai wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and gripped the windowsill before pulling himself into a standing position. Then, without warning, he dashed forward and with one swift motion punched Cole in the face.

The dragon hybrid's head snapped to one side with a force that almost knocked him over.

"YOU BASTARD!" Kai exploded, shaking in anger, but refused to let any more tears fall. "You couldn't give five measly seconds to say goodbye!? I had just signed my life away to you! I gave up everything for my family and I'll never see them again or say that I loved them! Did you not see my little brother's face? I couldn't even have a minute to calm him and down and tell him I'd be alright!" He roared. All he wanted was to tear Cole's tail off and shove it down the lord's throat.

Cole moved his head back and moved one of his clawed hands to rub the abused cheek, eyes glowing dangerously at the teenager as he continued his rant.

Cole remained silent, purely from shock. No one ever spoke to him like that or stuck him, even after he'd been cursed. Anger soon replaced astonishment. Cole's pride kicked in and he snatched his captive's wrist before he could move away. Kai opened his mouth to protest but was silenced when Cole slammed him back against the stone wall, pinning both his wrists above his head. The dragon hybrid's tail around Kai's thigh, holding him in place.

Fearing the worst, Kai began to struggle, but Cole pinned him with his free hand and forced the teen to look at him.

"Strike me again, and there will be dire consequences." Cole hissed in a dangerously low voice. A slight satisfaction filled him when Kai shivered, though the brunette's glare refused to falter.

"Let go of me!" Kai growled and bit his lip until he tasted blood when Cole used one of his legs to pin him against the wall. He refused to cry out. He wouldn't give the Dragon Lord the satisfaction.

"Let's get something straight here, candle; you don't make the rules, I do, you agreed to be here and follow them, so I suggest remember that or your time here will not be pleasant and I won't hesitate to punish you if you disobey me, again." He growled before he released Kai and he dropped to the floor. "Mark my words; I will douse that defiant flame of yours." He smirked and turned and headed back towards the door. "Now, if you're done throwing a tantrum, I'll show you to your room."

"My room?" Kai asked his head shot up, and he got to his feet.

"Of course, you didn't think I was heartless enough to leave you here in the tower all night, did you? Surely even you must have a higher opinion of people, unless, of course, you would rather stay." He mocked. Kai growled at the mocking tone and felt his ego bruise a bit, showing Cole that was what he thought. Swallowing his pride, Kai followed the lord out of the tower. Cole grabbed a nearby lantern and ordered Kai to follow him. As they walked, Kai's amber eyes wandered around the corridor in amazement.

The castle's inside was just as magnificent as the outside.

Once Cole escorted him up the staircase to the second floor, he followed down a hallway, done like an open balcony with marble railings. Kai peeked over the side and found a fantastic view of the main corridor and several other rooms. Chandeliers made of glass and crystal and candles hung from the ceilings on thick chains, and statues of gargoyles and mythical creatures embedded the walls. His gaze fell on the marble floors beneath him to the shadowed ceiling.

The points and curves of the roof were done elaborately,

Windows of stained glass were speckled everywhere, while the pillars seemed to continue forever into the infinite darkness. Unlike the castle of his dreams, everything in this place was a darker color or seemed veiled in shadows. No dust or cobwebs littered the castle walls or floor. Not even the polished stone of the statues, floor, and balconies were all aged by time. Cole's eyes trailed behind him, mentally telling himself he only wanted to make sure the boy was following him, but another part of him couldn't resist the look on his captive's face as he scanned his new home.

The silence between them suddenly became tense and suffocating.

Cole had always welcomed silence, the absence of noise had always offered him a sense of peace, but suddenly, he'd give anything to break the silence. Knowing Kai wouldn't make the first move, he cleared his throat.

"Since the castle is your home, you're free to move about it as you like; if you get lost or wish to find a specific location, ask the servants." The Master explained. A snort was his only answer. It was a miracle Cole didn't scowl. "The only restrictions are that you are not to leave the palace grounds or go anywhere near the woods, but that is for your own safety; the second is you are not allowed near the west wing under any circumstances."

"What's in the west wing?"

"That is not your business!" Cole snapped before they started walking again. "Other than that, you are free to go about as you wish." He added, but this time his answer was full-blown laughter. Cole stopped in his tracks and whirled around. Kai didn't even flinch at his feral gaze.

"If you think giving me a room and suddenly being polite will convince me to forgive and forget, and make nice, you are sorely mistaken!" He spat with heavy sarcasm in his's voice. "I have no intention of becoming another one of your servants, so do us both a favor and don't pretend to be nice to me." He snapped. Cole's first response was anger. The fury rose inside him like a caged beast, then it turned to anguish. This person knew his story, and yet he criticized him?

His expression suddenly changed and he started laughing, but it wasn't a normal laugh.

His laughter wasn't what Kai usually heard when people showed their happiness. This was darker, more amused, and curled with a type of humor that chilled Kai to the bone. Once the king's gaze returned to him, he smirked at Kai's state, a smile that curled at the corners.

"You have quite a defiant spirit and a sharp tongue." He said as he took a step towards the human, who took a step back, but Cole continued forward not letting the short distance between them grow. Kai cursed when his back hit the wall of the balcony and his hands grabbed air. Cole leaned over his captive, meeting the boy's amber eyes, their faces now even closer. "It'd be wise of you to keep that tongue of yours in check, otherwise, it just might get you killed." He warned.

Kai flinched when one of Cole's claws traced his cheek.

He breathed in Kai's ear before pulling back, leaving Kai still shaking against the banister. The teen cursed himself for showing weakness in front of his capture, but his glare returned with full force. His defiance only seemed to amuse Cole even more. He then turned to the room that would now be Kai's new home. The click of keys unlocking the large gold door was the only warning Kai got before he suddenly found himself whisked inside his new room.

Not even bothering to check around, he turned his attention to his capture and glared.

"I can walk just fine on my own." He scowled but Cole snorted as he shook his head, and turned around as if leaving.

"Despite the circumstances, and as difficult as this is for you to accept, I do hope you enjoy your stay here." He said and Kai resisted the urge to blink at the sympathy in the Dragon Lord's voice.

"Now, get dressed and have the servants bring you down for dinner." He commanded.

"No," Kai said, hands balled into fists at his sides. Cole froze in his tracks.

"I beg your pardon?" He growled, his voice was lower and more dangerous than it had been all night.

"I'm not hungry." He said flatly, grateful his empty stomach didn't voice its protests.

"I wasn't asking if you were hungry or not, I'm telling you that you're going to dinner." He ordered as his glare met Kai's, the intensity of his own green depths rivaled by the untamable fire in Kai's amber orbs.

"No, I'm not." He said simply; his tone undaunted. His eyes bore into the Dragon Lord's. They remained transfixed, neither willing to break their control or give the other the satisfaction of knowing he'd won. Finally, the dragon hybrid smiled, a small smirk that made Kai blink, before a boom of laughter erupted from Cole. Blood boiled in Kai's veins. Did Cole really find him so amusing? The thought made his teeth clench in rage.

"Very well, be stubborn; I will not argue." He half-mocked. "If you insist on acting this way then starve for the night! Perhaps going without food for a while will do your attitude some good." He laughed, but just as quickly his glare turned hard and he leaned over to meet Kai's eyes. The boy too stunned to do anything but a standstill. "But I mean what I say when you won't get anything tonight! The servants obey only me and if I order them not to, they'll obey so you won't be able to have them bring you something because you skipped a meal because of your stubbornness, so you either come now or go without, the choice is yours." He snarled.

Despite the flinch in his step and his churning stomach, Kai's glare refused to falter.

"I'll take my chances."

"Fine." Cole huffed before he turned on his heels and stormed out the door. He said nothing else as the door slammed shut, leaving Kai alone in the gilded cage. Kai growled and kick the door in frustration, before grabbing the nearest pillow and released a violent scream he'd been holding back into it. After he was finished he let it drop into his lap and panted in frustration. It didn't make him feel better, but it felt nice to release some of his pent-up stress.

When he opened his eyes, he finally took in the surroundings of his new room.

He wasn't sure what to expect when Cole said he was having a room in the palace. He expected something straight out of a fairytale when the princess got her prince. The exact opposite of what he got. The room was beautiful in a gothic way. Instead of a wooden bed, he got an iron frame bed. A grotesque pattern formed the headboard and end of the bed like a spider web. The iron frame contorted upward like twisted vines in a type of canopy.

Red and gold veiled the roof and draped down, pooling once it hit the carpet like waterfalls of gold and blood.

Bright red blankets of satin draped the full-sized mattress. Pillows that were woven from gold, red, and black satin and Egyptian cotton aligned the headboard in various sizes, forming patterns that served both comfort and decorative. Next to the bed was a black iron table in the same molding as the bed. A lit candle rested peacefully next to a book bound in brown leather and a black pen. Above the table, a large branched candlestick rested against the wall.

Each of its multiple branches held a lit, vanilla-scented candle.

Opposite the bed, a fire roared to life contained by about three feet of obsidian stone and mantle. Iron and glass served to keep the embers safely contained while heat flooded into the room. Candles lined the mantelpiece, all in iron candle holders. A black vase filled with white and yellow roses in the center contrasted with the black stone of the mantle. Two large candles blazed to life in black, iron lanterns on either side of the fireplace. Kai's eyes wandered further around the room.

All the furniture was simple yet elegantly carved from rich wood with gold handles.

The pieces lined against the walls opposite the bed. In the far corner, against the same wall as the fireplace, an enormous wardrobe towered over him, almost touching the ceiling. The carvings resembled the vines of a forest, moving up the wood, while the images of deer decorated the doors. Next to it was a door that Kai could see led to a bathroom. The polished obsidian floor contrasted nicely with the ivory tub and the pale cream marble counters.

In the corner next to the entrance door sat a carved wooden desk and a large bookshelf, stacked with books with brass or silver bindings.

Brass knobs and bindings decorated the desk where stacks of paper, books, and pens had already been organized. The darkness of the furniture and bed contrasted nicely with the gold carpets covering the floors. Despite his desire to hate the room, Kai loved it, but at the same time, it was a gift from his captor. What drew Kai's attention was the wall on the left side of the bed. A strip made almost entirely out of glass, save for the aged, gold bindings of a doorway and the mesh curtains.

If not for the balcony appearing through the invisible wall, Kai could've been convinced nothing was there.

He got up and walked to the glass. A transparent reflection met him as he approached. His hand moved automatically to meet that of his reflection, only to feel the cold glass of the invisible barrier beneath it. He saw the dark forest, covered with snow and ice, beneath a towering mountain. The full moon, shimmering in the black sky, perfected the image. It became too difficult to look beyond his reflection and at the portrait behind it before he found himself meeting his eyes in the clear mirror.

His hand gently retracted from the glass, pulling back as far as it could before tightening into a fist.

Kai growled and punched the glass window, hard. Not even a crack or dent marred the surface. His bangs shadowed his eyes as he lowered his face and pressed his forehead against the glass, shaking in anger, anguish, and fear. All his emotions pooled together at once making it impossible to calm himself down. His nails scraped against the living symbol of the bitterness of his sacrifice. Overcome by his raging emotions, he struggled backward from the window until the back of his hand touched the iron sides of the bed.

He collapsed to the floor, no longer caring about the tears on his cheeks...

* * *

After a few hours of leaving Kai to stew, Cole decided he had had enough waiting and he walked back to the Cerise Room to check if Kai had finally cracked and wanted to get some dinner. When he arrived, however, he was a little surprised to see Jay, Tox, Ronin, and Nelson crouched by Kai's bedroom door with their ears pressed up against it. Cole struggled to suppress a laugh at the sight. It was clear they hadn't noticed him as he walked closer.

"Shouldn't you three be in bed by now?" He said and the servants jumped and whirled around to see Cole standing there with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"Witt all due respect, Master, we're over 100 years old, and it's only 1 am." Ronin replied.

"Rules are rules; now get to bed before I call Zane." He playfully warned, watching them scurry away. A small chuckled escaped his mouth before his attention turned to the real reason he'd returned to the east wing. The lock of the door opened with a shallow click and a low creek. Though darkness shrouded the room in shadow, the multiple candle-lit candle holders and the roaring fire lit the room in a bright glow. He saw that his captive was not on the bed where he'd left him, or at the desk, or in the bathroom.

His dragon eyes scanned the corners of the large room until they caught a flash of red on the other side of the iron bed frame.

With an elegant swoop, the Dragon King found himself on the other side of the room, staring down at his shivering captive on the floor. Cole sighed and knelt down, a clawed hand removed the stray strand of hair from the boy's sleeping face. This revealed the tear-streaks on his cheeks. Carefully, Cole whipped the tears away with the back of his hand. A silent shiver ran through his hand when the warm skin touched his cool scales. The boy truly was beautiful.

He didn't know what Kai had to be so stubborn.

He sighed before hooking his arms under Kai's legs and back and gently lifting him into his arms. Kai's coat slid to the floor with the action, but Cole's tail was quick to catch it. Relieving his captive of the uncomfortable position, the dragon lord placed him on the bed, him resting against pillows. His eyes scanned the boy over, taking in his dirty shirt and pants. They had been soiled from the day's events. Cole closed his eyes and with a snap of his fingers, the clothes joined Kai's coat on the floor.

The Master turned to the wardrobe and pulled out something for the brunette to wear tomorrow.

His eyes caught something shinning against the candlelight.

"I thought I'd lost this." He muttered as his clawed hands lingered over one of his old dark red sweaters. He pulled it from its place on the chair and held it open. It looked as lovely as it did when he'd lost it. The fabric as crimson as freshly spilled blood and the stitching of a gold dragon decorated along the arms. His eyes darted from the sweater to his shivering captive, then back to the sweater. He deposited the fresh clothes on the rim of the bed and gently covered his captive's shivering body.

He made a note to have Harumi have it fitted for him once he was settled.

That sweater looked better on Kai than it did on him...


	12. The New Clothes

Kai didn't want to move. Even as the noon light poured through the window, taking him from the other reality of sleep. Taking advantage of the sudden wakefulness, his stomach took the time to growl. The pain of emptiness effectively ruined Kai's sleep. The boy growled and tried to sink deeper into the soft pillows and comfy mattress. His hand reached to pull his comforter tighter around his body. Except there was no comforter and the pillows were not his.

Surprise shocked Kai into wakefulness, and he looked around his room frantically to try and figure out where he was.

This bedroom was not his back in the town. The bed was too soft against his aching skin. The pillows his head was snuggled against were too fancy. The bed and furniture too rich for what he and Nya earned, no matter how much they saved up, and the outline was nothing like the room he'd created for himself in his father's house. Last night suddenly came crashing back to him. A hand rose to gently press against his temples while the other braced his shaking form.

The reality finally sank in that all the events of the previous day had not simply been a nightmare as he had hoped.

It had all been real. Kai certainty didn't feel real, though. Nothing about this felt real to him. He really wanted to feel like he'd suddenly followed a white rabbit and fallen through the rabbit hole, and awoken in a twisted version of his once-favorite fairy tale. He'd dreamed about this before but never in his life had he ever dared wish for it to come true and yet here he was. The prisoner of the Dragon Lord he'd read about every day since he was little.

Living out his sentence in a magnificent castle that haunted his thoughts, and sleeping in a room that suited a prince.

Kai just froze, stunned as the utter impossibility of his situation crashed against the sheer actuality of it. He shivered, pulling the covers tighter against his bare skin, the only warmth he had was the baggy sweater rubbing softly against his chest. It was then he realized something. A shiver of dread suddenly crawled up Kai's spine as the cool air suddenly bit the bare skin of his arms, legs, and torso. Slowly, very slowly, he looked down at himself and found he was wearing nothing but a red sweater and his boxers.

He screamed in both anger and shock, before growling and wrapping the covers around his naked body.

His face turned as red as the sweater, despite the fact no one was in the room. He wondered what had happened before the answer suddenly crashed into his mind, making him see red all over again. His fists clenched the fabric so hard his knuckles went white. It had to be Cole who undressed him while he was asleep and couldn't do anything. He had ordered the servants to not speak to him, so he doubted they took a peek in while he was fast asleep.

Kai growled low in this throat.

He searched frantically for his clothes and only found a neat pile of different clothes at the end of the large bed. A letter sat on top of the pile. Kai stood up and snatched the paper off the pile, using one hand to keep the baggy sweater on him. His name was written in elegant black ink.

_**Dearest Kai,** _

_**As I'm sure you are aware of, you have no clothes, and no, it was not I who undressed you, but I refused to let you roam around my castle in your filthy mud-stained clothes. Therefore, as an act of kindness, I've provided you with a new outfit until the seamstresses and tailor can create a new wardrobe to suit your liking.** _ _**I suggest you become acquainted with them soon for I will not be around to provide for your needs if you do not take it upon yourself to see if they are met.** _

_**Sincerely Cole.** _

Kai growled and crunched the note into a ball in his hand, unsure if he should be grateful or angered at the note's tone. Any kindness Cole had tried to place in it was stained by the sheer arrogance he could just hear behind the words. It was like Kai was a child and Cole was teaching him how to take care of himself. However, that last line burned a blush across his face. He crumpled the note in his hand and threw it across the room before scanning over the clothes.

Kai couldn't deny the clothes were lovely.

They reminded him of the garments he'd seen when the family had lived in London for a time. The clothes in his arms seemed unique as if they were made just for him. He growled in frustration before swallowing his pride and pulled the sweater off. It was either accept Cole's gift or go naked. At this point, he wasn't sure which was worse anymore. The long-sleeved burgundy red shirt fitted against his lean form and was trimmed with white cuffs.

Black pants with a slit from just below the knee to the floor sculpted his legs then flared at his ankles and the hems had gold designs.

The slender knee-high black leather boots with gold clasps completed the outfit. Once he was fully dressed he jumped to his feet and spun around in front of the mirror as if testing out the outfit. He hated to admit it, but the clothes were perfect. He noticed a crimson sash on the bed. He snatched it up and walked over to the vanity mirror and wardrobe, both were empty of garments but to his happiness, he found a wooden box of old accessories.

He dug through it until he found a gold cross-shaped pendant with a ruby at the top bottom and on each arm of the golden cross.

He looped the sash threw the loop at the top and carefully tied it around his neck in the form of a chocker. This was so much better. He smirked to himself, admiring his appearance in the tall mirror. Lloyd would have loved these clothes. He was always Kai's chief fashion advisor back home. Kai chuckled as he started remembering all the times he and Lloyd had spent their afternoons filling their diverse wardrobes. Realization crashed into him again.

All enjoyment was quickly sapped from his face until he matched the shocked, broken face in the mirror.

He hadn't thought about Nya and Lloyd since he had woken up. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting even for a moment why he was there. He leaned his head against the mirror, before sighing in defeat. It didn't matter now. Kai had made his choice and he could only hope and pray they found happiness. As if answering his prayers for a distraction, his stomach suddenly howled its protests, reminding him he hadn't eaten anything since the previous morning.

His argument with Cole was still fresh in his mind, but he wasn't going to let that arrogant bastard starve him.

Kai stormed to the door before carefully gripping the golden handle. He gave it an experimental turn and found it was unlocked. He turned it completely and pulled it open. No one was outside. The hallways were dark as they had been the previous night save for the light seeping through the skylights overhead and the burning candles. Kai smirked, but deciding not to tempt his luck. He carefully scanned the hallway before slipping out of the safety of his room and slid against the wall.

Nothing moved.

No one acknowledged his presence. In fact, the castle seemed as deserted as it appeared when he first arrived in this hell-hole. Smirking in victory, Kai strolled through the hallway past the wide windows and descended down the staircase. Now all he had to do was find the kitchen...

* * *

Echo sighed as his back hit the wall. He put up no resistance as his lover ravished his neck with small kisses and caresses against his bronze skin through his dark brown suit as his golden yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. The touches sent a shiver of delight through him. Cole had put Jay there to guard the door and to tell the lord when Kai woke up. When Echo walked past, however, Jay became a little distracted.

"Jay..." Echo moaned through half-lidded eyes.

"Yes?" The ginger-haired teen smiled.

"We can't stay here, we'll get caught." He said and gestured to the hallway, behind them, though Jay had been sure to hide them behind the curtain first. They dreaded the thought of anyone other than Ronin or Tox should see them. Having been the best of friends as teens, a hundred years together in a castle had only caused their bond to grow and bloom until neither could deny the love between them. They mutually agreed to keep it a secret.

At least until the curse was broken.

Hopefully, if they were right about Kai Smith being the answers to all their prayers, they would all be fully human again and then, while everyone was happy and celebrating, they would tell Zane about their relationship, and Echo's older brother would take it a whole lot better than he would have done before.

"Aw, do we have to?" Jay whined and Echo could only laugh. Jay was such a child, but Echo loved that about him. It certainly didn't stop Jay from being serious when the situation called for it.

"You want someone to find us?" He teased.

"Of course not! Do you know how over-protective Zane is? He'll never let me see you again, or do something worse." Jay panicked as his breathing and heartbeat started to speed up in fear. Zane was Echo's older brother and everyone in the castle knew that nothing would stop the yeti from making sure his brother was safe, not even Cole. Zane would let hell freeze over before he let anything dare to harm his little brother in any way, shape, or form.

The very thought was enough to send Jay into a fit of panic attacks until he felt Echo's gentle hands on his arms.

"Then we need to keep quiet about it, just for a little while longer." He replied, disappearing through the curtain. Unable to resist, Jay swooped behind him before wrapping an arm around his lover's waist and stealing a kiss from him. Only to then ceremonially dropped him to the cold floor. Echo hissed in shock before he stared back at Jay's shocked face.

"Kai!"

"Kai? That's something you say when you're kissing you're boyfriend?" Echo growled angrily. Jay turned to Echo then threw his hands up in defense and shook his head.

"No! no! no! Look!" He pointed behind his upset lover. Echo turned his head just in time to see their new brunette guest disappearing down the stairs...


	13. The Cursed Castle

The staircase led to the first floor and Kai was back in the front hallway. The enormous locked doors to the front mocked him as he passed by. He snorted and growled trying to navigate his way through the labyrinth of chambers. His stomach refused to silence. He turned down another hallway but every corridor appeared the same. They were made of stone and lit with candles, but each was decorated in a different manner. This only made it more difficult to decide where to go.

Two oak doors blocked the end of the hallway.

A light leaking from the bottom caught Kai's attention. He turned the handles and shoved the doors open a crack, preventing any noise. His eyes widened as he scanned the enormous dining room Even in the darkness, the room was stunning. A smooth, green carpet covered the floor, while a red carpet stretched from the entrance, up too small steps, and to a large platform where a gold and silver table sat. Matching chairs in a similar fashion lined the walls opposite the ends of the table.

Behind the table, three windows covered almost the entire wall, shaped like the top of an octagon.

They were lined with maroon curtains tied with a gold cord. The darkness outside told him it was still night. A crystal chandelier lit with many candles hung from the ceiling on a thick chain, while candle holders lit with cream-colored candles rested on the oak tables. A huge fireplace framed with black stone rested in the opposite wall where a huge mirror rested above the mantelpiece. There was no ceiling. Instead, there was a balcony. Kai recognized as one of the ones he'd traveled when Cole showed him to his room, branched from one wall to the other.

Kai shivered to wonder what the room must have looked like during the day, with light spilling in from the windows.

In the far corner, lights danced behind another door, diverting his attention. He slowly approached the door and gently pushed it open. A short stone hallway lit by orange and yellow lights led to the kitchen where he could hear voices. Caution and curious, Kai pressed his back against the opposite wall, keeping himself in the safety of the shadows, before silently sliding towards the kitchen entrance. He carefully leaned over to peer inside. The kitchen was full of bright lights though he could only see a few candles and enormous wheel-shaped chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

In the corner was an enormous brick structure that Kai could've mistaken for an alter if not for the black smoke pouring out the brick tower.

There was blazing yellow and orange fire burning wildly within it. The kitchen was huge. It was an entire room made of stone and glass and the floor was made of a sandy-gold stone. The fire pit, contained by the enormous brick stove, rested in the far corner embedded in the wall. A line of black tools hung from the wall around the stove, so they were within easy reach. A tall man, taller than Kai with short black hair and ghostly pale skin stood before the fire pit.

With a wave of his arms, the fires roared to life, before calming with the flick of the man's wrist.

He carried jars of spices from the mess upon the huge wooden table in the middle of the room and rearranged them in the towering spice cabinet next to the stove. Servants moved about, two he recognized as the man and woman in the tower, scurried about the kitchen carrying plates of little cakes, baskets of apple and fruits, and trays covered with silver tins. They placed them all on a huge wooden table in the middle. The table was full of knives and cutting boards and overcrowded with apples, peppers, carrots, and other vegetables.

The servants gathered them all in baskets before relocating them in either the huge icebox in the corner of the enormous pantry, so large it covered almost the entire wall.

Over a large silver sink, Neuro scrubbed pots beneath a faucet of running water. Steam rose when the hot water touched the cool, gray water. Nelson was sat on one of the countertops drying plates. Tox and Ronin who Kai recognized from the tower were carrying large pots, struggling with large towers of plates and cauldrons of water. The two placed the objects on the table before a flash of turquoise and green surrounding them. A green naga and a short troll stood in their place.

They then relocated the dishes from the countertops to the cupboards above the counters.

They were carved from wood but each one had a glass window so people could see where each one went. The raven-haired man in the corner turned around, barking orders, revealing his true face. He had a few inches on Kai and pale, almost grey, skin and onyx-colored eyes. A strong hand wiped the sweat from his brow. He wore black gloves and a sleeveless black vest with silver shoulder braces, a silver wolf symbol with red eyes, and in front of a blue area on the chest.

His legs were designed with gray pants and black boots.

His white cooking apron was blotched with soot and stained red. Kai ducked behind the wall hoping he wasn't seen. His heart hammered in his chest in confusion and excitement, as he pondered who, or rather what, they were.

"UGH! I can't believe this! I slave all day over a hot stove, quite literally and what!? It all goes to waste!" He hollered as he raised his hands in protest. The other servants and the boy on the counter jumped. The only one unafraid of the cook's temper was Neuro, who was still doing dishes.

"Oh, stop your grousing! It's been a long night for all of us!" Neuro told him. Shade rolled his eyes but said nothing else. Not a moment later Jay, who Kai also recognized from the tower, bulldozed into the room through the opposite door, panting heavily. Echo ran beside him, looking just as exhausted as Jay.

"Sorry guys," Jay panted, before glowing in a dark blue light. A blue fox took his place. Kai's eyes almost bulged out of his skull. He couldn't look away as Echo closed his eyes and in a flash of gold, only a brown centaur remained. They had intended to continue their search for Kai, but they noticed how much work the others had to do since dinner was canceled and it wasn't like Kai could leave the castle. Wasting no time, Jay, in the form of a Raijū, grabbed a stack of plates clearly too heavy for him.

The tiny creature struggled to use his powers to float but managed to lift it and made his way towards the pantry.

"Jay let me help you," Echo begged his companion.

"I got it," Jay grunted until finally, he faltered as his body fell, sending plates scattering around him. Without thinking Kai dove and slid across the floor to catch the falling creature in his arms. Plates rained around him, as Kai pulled the shaking fox in his arms. Everyone, who had moved for the same reason, froze and stared at the boy on the floor. Kai blinked in surprise until his eyes widened in remembrance.

"Oh, you're there," Jay said. "Echo and I wondered where you disappeared too." He smiled. Kai reacted quickly. His entire body jumped and he fell backward until he was in a half-sitting, half-lying position. His eyes were wide with shock and awe. The action sent Jay flying into the air, forcing him to use his powers to float. The cook crossed his arms and smirked at the teen on the floor. Jay rubbed his head with a paw before blinking at his savor.

He smiled brightly and extended a paw to Kai, who stared at him with a mixture of shock, confusion, and amazement.

"I'm Jay, please to meet you."

"Uh, hello," Kai replied as he shook Jay's paw with two fingers.

"I apologize about this," Neuro said as he leaned forward slightly so his eyes met Kia's bewildered ones. "My name is Neuro, and before you ask, no you are not in any way mad, and I do hope our presence didn't shock you; we didn't expect to meet you formally until tomorrow, otherwise we would've made your acquaintance already but now that you're here, we'd like to welcome you, Master... Kai, is it?" He asked. Kai nodded, still shocked.

"Sorry about before." Tox hissed as she slithered over. "We didn't get to introduce ourselves, the name's Tox." She smiled before there was a flash of green. When it faded again a green-haired woman landed on her heels and offered a hand to Kai.

"Hello," Kai replied, a bit breathlessly, and shook the offered hand. Tox took the opportunity to pull him to his feet.

"Sorry, about earlier." Echo smiled sadly before reappearing as the brunette boy with gold eyes a moment later. "I hope all of our transforming back and forth didn't scare you." He smiled sincerely.

"It's alright, I don't mind." Kai smiled. "I'm assuming these are your cursed forms?" He asked gesturing to Jay's fox form.

"Only if we want, it's just exhausting to stay human and easier for us to move like this," Jay explained.

"But the Dragon Lord is a mix of man and creature, so how come none of you are?" He asked, wondering why they were suddenly switching between their human forms and the monstrous forms he recognized from the fairy tale. They all shared uncomfortable looks so Kai thought it'd be best to drop the subject.

"I'm Ronin." The troll smiled from the counter. Kai nodded with a small smile.

"Easy there, lads, you don't wanna shock the boy anymore than he already has been shocked tonight." Shade teased before narrowing his eyes to the teen in front of him. Kai stayed still as Shade's hard eyes, void of emotion and impossible to read, scanned him over critically. "The boys told me you're the reason the Master was throwing a fit this afternoon, is that true?" He asked and Kai raised an eyebrow.

"If he threw a tantrum because I refused to obey him then that is no one's fault but his own; I made myself perfectly clear when I said I refused to become another one of his servants just because we made a deal." He answered. Everyone froze for a bit, then Shade did the last thing anyone expected, he laughed.

"You got guts, it about time someone deflated the oversized ego of Cole's! He needs to learn to lighten up a bit." The cook laughed in such a way, Kai wasn't sure if it was good or bad until the noirette smirked. "Welcome to the hellhole, I'm Shade, the cook here and Neuro's husband, at your service."

"My name's Nelson." The boy he'd seen earlier jumped from the counter to greet him with a bright smile on his face. "You've already met Jay." He said and gestured to the blue fox floating in the air, knocking Ronin off the counter. The troll growled and began a chase. Kai ducked and moved, hoping to avoid the crossfire. Soon Tox and Echo both returned to their human forms and joined in the play.

"Don't mind them." Neuro chuckled. "They're always eager to see a new face; now, if there is anything at all we can do to make your stay more comfortable, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Yeah, we haven't had any guests here in ages!" Jay smiled, stopping in the air, causing the other three creatures to crash into him.

"Well, I am a little hungry."

"You hear that? He's hungry!" Neuro instantly beamed as he turned to Shade.

"Start the fire!" Shade smiled as he spun around and waved his hand. The oven erupted in flames. "Pull out the spices, break out the china!" He ordered and not a moment later, everyone did as commanded. The spice cabinet flew open and various jars of different colored herbs were removed and drawers opened, revealing the forks, spoons, and knives.

"Wait!" Tox countered. "Didn't the Master say-"

"Until I die, not a soul in this castle is going to bed hungry!" He declared, boldly. Kai almost blushed at the attention.

"Really, you don't have to-"

"Shut it!" Shade cut him off he dropped the two huge pots he'd been carrying on top of the roaring stove. Before Kai could blink Shade flew in front of him making him jump and stumble backward. Shade circled him, scanning him up and down then pinched his arm making Kai growl, and snatch his arm away

"What the hell are you doing!" He demanded angrily but Shade didn't seem to hear him.

"I've got my work cut out for me." The chef shook his head both in disappointment and in excitement at the new challenge. "Not to worry, when I'm done with you you'll never eat again! You need it, you're way too thin for a normal seventeen—"

"I'M NINETEEN!"

"That's even worse! Do you ever eat?! You're nothing but skin and bones!" Shade gasped in horror. Before Kai could answer, Shade started running around the room gathering ingredients. "We are going to need chickens, chestnuts, and broth for stuffing and plenty of hazelnuts!" He started shouting randomly, grabbing a basket of apples from the pantry, and began slicing through each one like butter. "Three cups of flour, six eggs, and a quarter of milk… MOVE IT!" He roared.

The servants scurried throughout the kitchen as the dook randomly shouted what he needed.

The chef darted from the icebox to the pantry or the table. He was grabbing, slicing, and throwing food over his shoulder into pots, on pans, or plates. The whole process was so quick and complex, Kai suddenly felt dizzy watching him work.

"TOX!"

"HERE!" The naga answered while Shade placed a tray of sliced cheeses and crackers and assorted fruits in her hands.

"Bring that to the dining hall and don't spill a single one or I'll skin you alive!"

"GOT IT!" She replied, before jumping off the counter and dashing towards the dining room. When Kai felt something pull on his sleeve, he looked down and found Nelson tugging on his sleeve.

"You'll love it, Shade's a great cook." He reassured the brunette. Smiling, Kai scooped the small boy into his arms, making him yelp, and walked towards the dining room. He shoved the doors open, so Tox and Ronin could get in and place the food on the table. He gently placed Nelson on the table and turned around just in time to see Jay fly in. The blue fox struggled to carry a huge bowl of gravy on his head as he panted exhaustedly. Taking pity on him, when Jay started to slowly fall to the ground, Kai took the pot of Jay's head and carried it to the table.

"Hey! That's our job!" Jay moaned in annoyance. Kai chuckled at the pout on the fox's face.

"What? So now I'm not even allowed to help? Fuck that! Listen, guys, I appreciate all this, really, but I can take care of myself, I really can't stand being waited on all the time." He insisted. The servants just nodded and retreated back to the kitchen before coming back with more food, putting up no resistance whenever Kai offered to help. When Shade finished, all things delicious and imaginable were spread across the table. Kai noticed they'd only set one plate for him, but looking at the display before him, he knew there was no way he could ever hope to eat all the food.

A basket full of ripe, red apples arranged next to a basket of bread and rolls that sat next to a plate of butter.

The centerpiece was a huge chicken stuffed with chestnut stuffing, next to a bowl of hot, buttery gravy. Wheel-shaped plates of cheese and crackers that were hemmed by pieces of ham and beef served as appetizers. A single, large golden goblet was filled with rich, burgundy wine. For dessert, there were plates of fruits. There were strawberries smoothed with cream and dusted with brown sugar, raspberries coated in chocolate, hazelnuts dipped in honey, and over a dozen tiny cakes filled with cream with light pink frosting.

Kai couldn't say anything as his mouth began to water at the sight of all that delicious food.

"I take pride in my work," Shade smirked, before gently shoving Kai into the dining room. He turned to leave but Kai stopped him.

"Aren't you having any?" He asked. Shade paused and raised an eyebrow, before remembering this was only Kai's first night here.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I literally can't, I can't leave the kitchen, I'm bound to it." He replied, sounding angry and almost sad. The noirette didn't give Kai time to answer and turned to leave again, but Kai jumped in front of him. He blocked the door before turning to the rest of the confused staff.

"You guys can't expect me to eat all that by myself, right? I assumed you were making enough for everyone?" He asked and Shade blinked. Kai's determination refused to falter. Again the cook smirked and crossed his arms.

"You got a good heart, but even though we can, we don't need to eat; it's part of our curse."

"When was the last time any of you actually enjoyed your own cooking?"

"Over a hundred years ago." He answered flatly. He resisted the urge to urge to snort at the stunned look on Kai's face. Instead of questioning him, Kai strolled back to the table and sat down at the table.

"Come on, the food looks delicious, and I already know there's a possible way I can finish all this by myself, so feel free; I'd don't mind, I like company."

"Sure." Jay shrugged as he hopped onto the table and grabbed a cake before plopping it in his mouth. Shade plucked the blue fox by his tail.

"At least have the decency to wait, I didn't go through all the trouble of cooking just so you could eat it all in five minutes." He scolded, while everyone else either grabbed a chair or followed Jay's example and took a seat on the table. Shade dropped Jay next to Nelson and leaned against the table, before grabbing one of the cakes and took a bite. "So, Kai, what would you like?" He asked. Kai's eyes scanned the mountains of food again, already feeling his stomach begging.

"I'll just have a bit of everything." He finally said. Kai had never cared much for the laws of physics, but whoever said the matter couldn't be created or destroyed clearly never met Jay or Ronin before. In the span of a few short seconds, the two creatures had devoured over half the food that was leftover, after everyone claimed their meal. They made all that food vanish in less than a few seconds. Kai could only stare at them in shock.

"Don't think about it." Someone suddenly said. Kai jumped and turned to Echo, who was standing next to him, munching on a cake and a strawberry. "Ronin and Jay are eating machines, Shade says the day he leaves either one of them in the kitchen unattended is the day he lets us all starve to death." The centare laughed before eating his strawberry. Shade nodded at this, sinking his unusually long canine into an apple. Kai chuckled before stealing another cake, while the two boys fought over the last of the cream-filled sweets.

He couldn't believe how much he was enjoying himself.

Everything unhappy and frustrating about the previous evening just seemed like a bad dream. Once everyone had eaten their choice of food, they'd began bombarding Kai with questions about himself, each one of them curious to learn everything about their new guest. He'd given up trying to persuade them not to call him Master Kai and decided it was just something he'd have to get used to. The younger staff and Nelson were all careful to avoid anything that related to his siblings, which he was grateful for.

Despite his unusual happiness, the ache of never seeing his family again left a heavy hollow weight in his chest.

"So, you like books?" Nelson asked, sipping a glass of orange juice.

"Lloyd and I used to spend all our time in the bookstore whenever we got a chance." He nodded. Jay perked up and let go of the cake he'd been holding, sending Ronin, who was trying to take the cake, flying backward and almost off the table.

"We should show you the library then, right Tox?" He asked, turning to the naga, who was busy licking the last of the chicken off a drumstick.

"Of course, it's on the second floor."

"You have a library? Where is it?" Kai asked, excited.

"We'll show you tomorrow, we've gone through the whole day already." Echo replied. Kai blinked before looking around for some form of a clock in the room. An antique grandfather clock in the hallway, chimed to life, alerting the staff it was already 9 o'clock.

"Wow, I guess time really does fly when you're having fun." He chuckled and continued to socialize with the younger staff. Tox, Jay, and Nelson all asked Kai questions about himself, especially when he let it slip that he liked to write. It rather surprised everyone else. It was almost too impossible to believe this guy was the same rebellious and feisty teen who'd all but sent their Master into a fury the night before. Ronin suddenly stopped eating and jumped from the table.

In a flash of turquoise, he returned to his human form and grabbed a large tray, and began piling it with enough food for at least two people.

He clenched the silver handles and turned to the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Kai asked curiously.

"The Master didn't come down for dinner, so he must be hungry." He answered flatly. A sudden rage filled Kai and he snorted, remembering the argument they'd had earlier. Ronin turned to the new guest and offered a small smile.

"He's really not bad, except when he's in a mood, but really, he's not bad; you'll forgive him when you get to know him and until then, have a good night." He smiled before exiting the room and strolling up the staircase Kai hadn't noticed before. Kai's ever narrowed but he said nothing.

"You'll have to forgive him, Kai." Neuro sighed. "It's just been so long, and he hasn't really interacted with people for quite some time; sometimes he forgets what it's like to be kind and I'm sure you can understand, haven't you ever felt so out of place it was like everyone was against you for reasons you could not understand?" He asked and Kai almost choked on the wine he'd been drinking. He couldn't answer, but Neuro's words echoed in his mind like a guilty conscious smacking him for an act of stupidity.

He didn't answer and instead just looked at the floor.

For a moment he wondered if it was Cole or him Neuro had been talking about. The last chapter of the fairy tale repeated in his head, and for the first time in two days, he had to remind himself it wasn't just a fairy tale, but a true story. A true story about a hundred years of isolation. He shook his head and tried to dispel the thoughts. He didn't want to think about that right now. He didn't want to spoil his good mood with those thoughts. He didn't regret his and Cole's argument earlier.

Tragedy or not, he reacted the way anyone would, he told himself.

Kai sighed and stood from his chair, causing everyone in the room to stare.

"I'm going to head to bed if that's alright." He said with a small smile.

"We'll go with you." Jay volunteered, floating up and resting on Kai's shoulder. Kai chuckled before offering an arm to Nelson. Nelson took advantage of the gesture and took hold of Kai's hand.

"Are you three coming?" He asked, Shade, Echo, Neuro, and Tox.

"No thank you," Tox replied.

"We should clean this up, and don't you dare volunteer to help, this is the only time of the night Shade and I get to be alone." Neuro smiled, teasingly, though the smirk on Shade's face suggested a few not so innocent intentions. Kai shuddered, before turning to Echo.

"Coming?"

"I have to help the others; the rest of the staff will want to meet you tomorrow." He replied and Kai nodded, before leaving the room, and asking his new friends the quickest way to the East Wing. No one noticed the shadow standing on the balcony overlooking the dining hall, or the green eyes transfixed on the smiling form of their new guest and the equally laughing faces of his staff. He retreated to the safety of the shadows hoping to let them have their moment of happiness, undisturbed...

* * *

No one but Ronin noticed the flash of black retreating towards the West Wing. Ronin stopped outside a familiar door of dark wood, engraved with the stunning carving of a dragon. It stood tall and proud as beautiful as it was dangerous, powerful wings twice its length flexed to its full length empowering the border of the doors. Ronin shifted the weight of the tray to one hand and used his free one to knock the silver door knockers. Without an answer, the doors unlocked themselves with a loud click and the shifting of gears like a clock.

Swiftly, but gently, Ronin turned the doorknob and gently pushed the large doors open.

He was met with darkness, lit only by the crack of light from the hallway.

"Master?" He called gently, before entering the room and carefully closing it behind him. Only the bright glow of a large red candle in the corner lit the room. Shredded tapestries hung from the walls, and tattered orange curtains covered the glass doors leading to a balcony. A table covered in white cloth sat on the raised platform. On the table sat the Master's most treasured items, which Ronin dared not touch. The once-grand room was caked with dust and cobwebs.

The only thing untouched by the dust was the huge canopy bed in the corner.

The frame made from iron and the comforter and pillows were shades of black, red, and amber. The curtains around it were tattered and faded with age, but they'd done their job keeping age from touching the bed. The curtain was open and Ronin could see his master sitting there, wrapped in his enormous wings.

"Master? It's time for dinner." He called again. The Dragon Lord finally acknowledged his presents and opened his wings. Ronin gave him a small smile, before setting the tray down on of the broken tables. Of all the servants in the castle, Ronin was one of the only two allowed such familiarity with their Master. He wasn't sure if it was because he'd been there the longest, or if it was because Cole was the one who brought him there and offered him sanctuary.

Ronin accepted that gift with pride.

He made no effort to take advantage of it. Cole smiled and rose from his seat.

"Shouldn't you be making sure our guest doesn't get lost?" He teased.

"Don't worry, Nelson is with him; I'm not foolish enough to leave him alone with Jay, even you wouldn't do something that cruel."

"You put too much faith in me, all of you do." He chuckled lightly. "Anyone else would have, should have, given up on me long ago; I'd have already given up on myself by now."

"Don't say that!" Ronin said, too outspokenly, but it was too late to stop himself. "You don't have enough faith in yourself, you're one of the strongest people I've ever met! I refuse to believe that man who saved me can't be saved himself." He finally choked out, though it hardly measured up to what he wanted to say.

"You really think I don't want to believe that?" Cole asked rhetorically. "Do you really think, I hadn't thought of that when three strangers literally dropped on my doorstep? I hope and I pray and yet instead of an angel I get this brazen, obnoxious boy who can't hold his tongue or keep his temper." Cole chuckled, but Ronin knew it wasn't humorous. "I'm done and I won't pretend to be anything other than what I am." He sighed. Ronin opened his mouth to protest but Cole just smiled.

"Go to bed, I'm sure Kai would enjoy the company." He said and Ronin didn't argue. He just nodded and before leaving his master alone. When the troll was gone, Cole turned to the tray on the table, and with the weave of his arm, it crashed against the wall with the loud clang of metal and silver. He scowled to himself. They all placed too much faith in him. It would only be disappointing when he failed. He growled with disgust at himself before turning to the table in front of the balcony and gazed at the crimson red candle as the bright purple flame flickered back and forth.

One hand braced the rim of the table, the other covering his face with his black scaled paw.

The peace was married to the memory of those who'd given up everything for him. The ones he had lost. The ones he failed to protect.

"It's hopeless."...


	14. The Greetings

Kai awoke with a start from his dreamful slumber, temporarily forgetting where he was. He tried to sit but found himself pinned in place by a weight on his chest. His first instinct was to panic, but he controlled himself and slowly looked down at the weight constricting his breathing only to find a passed-out blue fox sprawled out on top of him, snoring loudly. Kai groaned as he gently scooped the slumbering creature in one arm, and used the other to push himself into a sitting position.

Jay really needed to start taking dieting more seriously.

Kai carefully moved the furry creature onto his lap. His back arched as he stretched his arms and back, before falling back against the soft pillows. Despite his desire to hate his new home, he couldn't recall the last time he had slept so well and it seemed neither had his companions. He chuckled noticing the sprawled blue fox on his lap. He also saw the werebear sprawled on the end of the bed, the centaur blissfully snoring on one of the spare pillows and the troll curled up in a nest he made.

Once they had found Kai's room through the endless labyrinth of hallways the elder insisted they stay with him, if only to ease his boredom.

He'd managed to worm it out of them that many of the stories surrounding the castle's former monarch were true. Each servant had a special position in the castle. He'd been especially grateful to Echo for the lovely room upon learning he was responsible for the room's décor. The three had been awake talking for an hour, by the time Ronin arrived. At first, the troll seemed reluctant to intrude on the conversation, but Kai convinced him otherwise and before long it was as if the five had known each other for years.

He hadn't recalled when he fell asleep or who had fallen asleep first, all he'd known was he never felt so accepted.

He smiled and shivered. Realizing he was naked under the blankets, he looked around for the clothes he'd discarded. Instead, he found a neatly folded pile of silk and a single parchment written in black ink. Forgetting Jay was on his lap, he leaned over and froze when the blue fox rolled over and was torn between laughing or sighing when the furry creature clenched the comforter in its little claws and snored loudly. Kai snatched the parchment and scanned it over, not letting the blanket slip from his grasp.

_**Dearest Kai,** _

_**I see you've acquainted yourself with my staff, though unfortunately not the ones I insisted you acquaint yourself with first. I've already told the tailor and seamstresses to meet you as soon as you awake and have provided you with some necessities. I suggest you put them on and bathe before their arrival in order to avoid any unnecessary embarrassment.** _ _**I've already asked Harumi to have that coat fitted for you, I do hope you enjoy it.** _

_**Sincerely, Dragon Lord Cole** _

Kai was once again torn between growling in anger or embarrassment. It didn't take him long to realize the necessities his host had provided were a burgundy silk robe and a pair of undergarments. He slipped them on and tied the robe tightly, feeling the tightness against his stomach, before he lied back against the bed with his legs dangling forward, the sinking of his weight barely touching the slumbering creatures. He wondered what he had gotten himself into as he felt his eyes flutter closed.

"Ah, good your awake." A new voice suddenly said. Kai's eyes flew open and he sat up with such haste the sudden bounce of the bed, shook all four creatures into wakefulness. Kai's eyes widened as a snickering pale green-skinned woman with long white hair and pointed ears stood before him. Her arms crossed over her chest, though instead of hands and feet, talons replaced them and green wings erupted from her arms.

"I was starting the Master had to kiss you to wake you up." She snickered. Too shocked to think clearly and unsure what else to do, Kai screamed loudly. The harpy blinked, before taking in her current form and laughed brightly.

"Sorry, I forgot." She snickered before a pale green flash surrounded her, turning her skin pale pink and her previous sharp eyes into large emeralds, and instead of wings a green dress covered her form. "That better?" She smiled. Still frozen and unsure how to react, Kai nodded, mutely.

"Uh... who are you?" He asked, torn between confusion and shock.

"Harumi Jade, at your service." She smiled proudly with a slight bow in her step. "And you must be Kai, then, our new guest?"

"Yes," Kai replied, while the four creatures on the bed faded to their human forms, stretching and rubbing their eyes off the mist of sleep.

"Harumi, what are you doing here?" Nelson yawned. "Did Pixel send you?"

"Relax, I'm here because our guest needs to meet the rest of his staff and the Master wanted to make sure we took care of his wardrobe." She smiled, taking in Kai's attire. "As lovely as you look in that you can't go around in nothing but a bathrobe can you?" She asked as she leaned forward with a playful wink and made a gesture to Kai's attire. Realizing for the first time he was still wearing only the silk robe, Kai went crimson.

"Do you mind!" He snapped, though the hard blush on his face made the threat impossible to take it seriously.

"You are feisty." She smiled and patted his head, earning a growl of annoyance from Kai. "We need someone lively around here." She smiled, before walking over to the wardrobe and pulled out a large, fluffy white towel, and gently tossed it to him. Before Kai had time to question her, she grabbed his arm and pulled him with such haste he almost stumbled out of the bed much to his embarrassment.

"Hey! What are you-?" He demanded before suddenly finding himself shoved into a joint bathroom he hadn't noticed upon his first arrival.

"You get into the bath and wash up while I get the rest of my co-workers so we can get everything prepared; what kind of hosts would we be if we let you go around in nothing but your birthday suit? Now in you go." She ordered and at this point, he wasn't sure if he should be annoyed, angered, or embarrassed. Too confused to notice the room, he leaned against the door and released a sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Growing up and having been raised to be headstrong and independent, the overly eccentric maid suddenly mothering him felt strange.

Techniques for dealing with domestic servants felt completely inappropriate for the eccentric staff that insisted on seeing to his domestic needs.

A loud knock made him jump.

"Kai, are you alright?" Echo asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." He replied calmly. "Just... not used to all this attention." He admitted.

"Sorry about that, you'll have to forgive Mai; she's always like this when we have guests." Jay snickered.

"She likes to take her job as head seamstress very seriously," Echo added. "Do you need any help?"

"I'll be alright." He replied, deciding to finally get down to the actual task of bathing, realizing he hadn't had a proper bath in almost two days. He placed the towel on a wicker basket in the corner. The washroom carried an identical baroque style to the room it joined. The smooth floor beneath his feet was pale gold and cream marble. His eyes scanned the rest of the room. The room itself wasn't a rectangular shape but curved slightly and had four interlocking parts.

The two side walls were pale yellow to match the floor but curved slightly to meet the front and back walls like a cylinder.

A large changing wall with bronze curtains stood against the wall with a wood table on either side lit with a dark metal candle holder. On the opposite wall hung an enormous full-length black mirror. Next to him against the only flat wall was a large black framed vanity with a glass top and a stunning silver mirror hanging above it. Several desk-like stands for a variety of brushes, perfume, and fragrance bottles, herbs, and other toiletries, a toilet sat in the far corner.

The wall was a polished black stone.

The gold and crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. A large window embedded in the stone let light into the room. In front of it, sat an enormous porcelain tub with black clawed feet that sank into the stone of the floor. It was large enough for Kai to lay out his entire body, with brass pipes coiling from the floor up the side and around a bronze wheel and over the side, for adding water. The steam rising from the murky surface and the mountains of bubbles revealed someone had already set the bath for him.

Smiling, Kai undid his robe and set it and the towel on the vanity, before climbing in and sinking into the warm water.

The soothing heat relaxed his entire body until he sank beneath the surface. His entire body felt like he was floating. He closed his eyes and let the stress he'd endured the past few days melt away. Lost in the serene, he pouted when he felt something tap his head. He shot up and threw his head back, his hair falling back like a veil, sending a wave of water behind him. He turned around and was shocked at the sight behind him. Harumi, still in her human form, and his four servants, in their creature forms, stood drenched and dripping.

Biting back a laugh, Kai opened his mouth to ask what had happened, until he remembered himself resurfacing, sending a wave of water behind him.

"Sorry about that." He snickered, watching as Jay and Echo tried to shake themselves dry. This made Jay's hair stand up like a puffball. Unable to hold it back any longer, Kai burst out laughing.

"Hey!" Jay glared, though it was impossible to see through the storm of fuzz.

"You could've warned us before you decided to get us all wet." Ronin snapped, drying himself off on Kai's towel and doing the same thing to Nelson.

"Oh leave him be." Harumi smiled, brushing her damp white hair behind her, before turning to her new guests. "The boys just wanted to show you how to get more hot water." She explained, walking over to the bronze pipes at the end of the tub and turned one of the bronze wheels. A loud gurgling echoed through the walls, followed by a wrenching stench that made Kai wince.

"What the hell is that?" He demanded.

"Natural hot springs, there's a bunch of them under this castle," Jay explained, managing to tame his fur. Before Kai could question further, a wave of hot water was suddenly uplifted over his head, followed by a sudden rush of fingers and scrubbing across his mass of hair.

"Hey! What the-?"

"Wow, you have so much hair." Harumi mused as she continued soaping him down, paying particular attention to the large mane of brown hair that had fallen up the top of his head. "Ronin go make sure the others don't go overboard, Echo go get me another brush, Jay, stop worrying about you're fur and get over here." She commanded and the second the blue fox hit the floor another wave of water-drenched him as Kai battled the woman intent on washing him.

"Hold still." She snapped.

"I can wash my own body thank you," Kai growled, only to be silenced by Harumi heaving another basin of water over his head.

"I'm sorry about this, Kai." Nelson apologized, shaking his tiny claws. "I told you Harumi takes her job seriously." He tried to soothe the growling teen. Before Harumi could attack him again, Kai stood from the tub with his hands balled into fists at his sides and was about to say something but a towel in his face silenced him.

"Have you no shame!" She scolded, motioning to the teen's naked form standing in the middle of the tab. Kai glared at her as he wrapped the towel around himself.

"Why should I be ashamed of my body? Besides, you're the one who charged in here after I said I didn't need help, thank you." He replied, trying to be civil. Harumi ran a hand through her bangs. Something between a smile and a smirk curled across her face.

"I never thought I'd live to see the day Shade was right, you are feisty." She smiled and handed him his robe. "Sorry about that, but you know I can't have our guest going around covered in grime." She answered a bit milder. "Once you're finished, the rest of my staff would like to meet you and fix your wardrobe."

"I'm fine, really," Kai replied, unused to the attention.

"You're in a towel, and the seamstresses will be crushed if you denied them a chance at a new project for the first time in years." She grinned and Kai sighed in defeat.

"Alright, alright, you win."

"I always do, but please, just call me Harumi." She insisted, flashing a playful smile.

"Only if you can convince everyone else here to just call me Kai since word seems to spread extremely fast here." He smirked.

"Of course, and you can't blame us, you're the best news we've had in over a century, now make haste!" She smiled, before dashing from the room, grabbing Echo, Nelson, and a still drenched Jay on her way out. Now he was finally, alone, Kai dried himself off as best he could, tossed the towel in the basket by the tub, and reapplied his robe. He grabbed a brush and did his best to detangle his hair. Once dry, his spikes returned to their natural shape.

Feeling refreshed he took a breath and braced himself for the chaos waiting for him on the other side.

He exhaled and with a swift flick of the wrist, he re-entered his room. His mouth nearly hit the floor. Piles of fabric in many different colors, textures, and designs covered the floors and desk and stacked in piles that almost touched the ceiling even scattered across the bed. A box of various multi-colored threads, some with needles in them and pin cushions sat on the desk and vanity. Another box full of ribbons and other fabrics sat on the dresser and in the hands of a tall girl in a bright purple and red dress with matching wings sprouting from her back.

For a second her skin was white and her hair was silver.

The second he blinked, her wings vanished and her skin was pink but her hair remained silver around her bright green eyes. He recognized Tox by her green hair. She was laughing with the girl while holding a box filled with various silver objects that looked like scissors. A boy with rich brown hair with crimson red sunglasses hiding his eyes. He wore a white and red jumpsuit and he was sat on a pedestal in the middle of the room. Harumi was standing in front of the open wardrobe, pulling out and tossing various things over her shoulder.

Nelson, Jay, Echo, and Ronin all sat on the rim of the bed in order to avoid becoming lost in the chaos.

"What the hell happened here?" Kai blinked, overcome by surprise to say anything else. All eyes suddenly fell on him. Tox and the other girl dashed across the room and grabbed him before he could escape and dragged him across the room to the pedestal, chattering and giggling.

"You were right, Tox, he is perfect! Oh, I can already imagine the wardrobe we can create." The silver-haired girl squeaked.

"I told you, Pixel." Tox agreed while the two gently dropped Kai on the bed, dividing the creatures currently occupied on it. Before they could do anything else, Kai threw them off.

"Who the hell are you and what do you think you're doing!" He demanded.

"I'm the seamstress, of course." Pixel replied, clearly angered by his tone. "Now hold still and let us do our job." She ordered, grabbing a piece of measuring tape.

"You will do no such thing." Kai protested. "I apologize if this puts a damper on your 'fun', but given the fact this is my wardrobe you're making, I think my opinion matters far more than yours." He stated boldly although sarcasm leaked into the beginning. Pixel looked at him like a child suddenly being scolded. Tox burst out laughing.

"I warned you that he was fiery, Pixel," Harumi said over her shoulder, before finally closing the wardrobe. Pixel growled and was about to retort when the boy pulled her behind him.

"That's enough ladies; you're going to smother our guest with all this attention." He half scolded, half-joked, though Pixel pouted angrily anyway, before he turned his attention to the still glaring Kai, and offered a hand for him to shake. "Sorry about them, they're just excited, I'm Griffin, the Tailor, you've already met my apprentice Pixel."

"I'm Kai." The teen smiled, shaking his hand.

"Let's get your wardrobe started shall we?" He smiled and undid the necklaces of tape.

"Listen, I appreciate all this really, I do, but you don't have to—"

"You're wearing a bathrobe." Griffin cut him off. "Neuro said you were independent, but relax, we do this for a living, and I finally get to do something new for a change." He smirked while gently shoving Kai on top of the pedestal at the mercy of Pixel and Tox measuring every part of his body.

"Cole hardly lets us do anything for him anymore." Tox snorted and growled when Kai fidgeted away from her, glaring. "Will you hold still!"

"I can tell you my measurements myself you know."

"Thank you, but we would like to stay as accurate as possible," Griffin explained. "Now anything specific I need to know before we decide what colors and fabrics to use and what to make?" He asked as his eyes scanned Kai's body. "Although, I'm liking a wardrobe of red for you, and I'm also assuming you don't like anything too loose or tight, but something form-fitting?"

"Red is my favorite color, but I've never been picky when it comes to what I wear, I just wear what I like." He explained with a shrug.

"I got just the thing! I have a talent for knowing what people need." He smirked. Once the girls finished measuring Kai, the tailor turned to Harumi with a smirk. She smiled as if the two were speaking a secret language and set out across the labyrinth of fabrics. "Well, red is a definite for you." He said as he pulled out a sheet of scarlet silk and held it up to Kai's face. He hummed in thought and then pulled out the respective color and then choosing the fabrics.

"Silk is perfect for light weather but in this chilly weather you're going to want something light and flexible, but still warm." He said as he tossed several different fabrics over his shoulder, the objects all floated and unfolded in the air while he pulled out his scissors and cut them with smooth strokes.

"And gold too!" Pixel added, turning to Kai. "It matches your eyes, and I think it'll compliment your skin tone as well."

"And black too! The master loves black!" Tox added, pulling out a black satin material.

"Materials, ladies! Materials!" Griffin howled over his shoulder. "Do you have any specific preferences for pants, Kai?" He asked the brunette. Kai blinked and thought for a moment.

"Just as long as I can move in them, but I do like leather."

"I can do that." He nodded. "We use leather for ridding pants and coats anyway." He said grabbing said materials. "Leather to keep the cold and water out with some soft, velvet or fleece on the inside and you'll have a perfect jacket." He added and turned to Kai again taking his size into account. "I think I'll stick with a knee-length for you, it'll make you look taller, any patterns or such we need to consider?"

"Well I really liked the outfit I had yesterday; anything along those lines will work and I've always been one for the baroque style." He chuckled. Griffin looked like he was about to burst from happiness.

"This is going to be so much fun!" He said ecstatically and dashed about the room grabbing several spools of thread, and fabrics. Between the four of them the room was a tornado of colors and fabrics flying about the room to the point Kai fell back against his bed, suddenly consumed by a wave of dizziness. The four servants all dove behind him, seeking shelter from the torrent.

"Are they always like this?" Kai asked the others.

"We think it gets worse with old age." Ronin replied. A knock on the door suddenly froze the entire room. Servants, clothing workers, fabrics and supplies, and even Kai turned his attention to the door.

"Dinner!" Neuro announced, opening the door, in one hand and holding a large tray in the other. Behind him, an enormous purple unicorn with blazing fiery eyes followed. In any other case, Kai would've found the creature almost shocking but when it answered, balancing a tray of food and drink on her back and even her head and looking like it was mentally struggling to do so, Kai couldn't help but chuckle. He stood up and took the tray from the unicorn's head, and placed it on the bed.

Just in time for a starving Jay, Echo, and Nelson to devour it, while Ronin, valuing his life more than his stomach, remained on the side.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." The unicorn flashed a childish grin. A pale purple light formed around and Ultra Violet remained. "You must be Kai, my name's Ultra Violet." She welcomed, before turning to the servants. "Hey, you three!" She called and the three servants jumped. "Quit stuffing ya faces and help me, we got a guest here!" She scolded. Blushing from their rude manners, Echo and Jay transformed and each grabbed a plate from Violet.

Nelson grabbed the third and offered Kai a cup of tea.

Once her hands were free, Harumi embraced her with a powerful hug.

"Hi, sweety." She laughed proudly. Violet only snickered. Kai blinked, confused by the sudden display of emotion.

"Harumi and Violet are married," Nelson answered his unasked questions. "Don't worry about it, they're always like this."

"Another thing that gets worse with old age." Ronin teased, taking something from Neuro and handing it to Kai. The teen looked down surprised to find the clothed he'd worn when he first arrived clean and neatly folded in the boy's hands.

"Thanks." He smiled graciously and started towards the joint bathroom, with a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Jay asked as he passed by. "And don't say nothing either, because I can see through it."

"It's true, Kai," Neuro said. "Jay makes it his personal job to make sure no one in this castle is distressed."

"Unfortunately, he's had little success with Cole." Echo laughed, then stopped when all eyes turned angrily to him. The centaur shrank back. Kai exhaled and offered up a small smile.

"Look everyone, this is wonderful and I appreciate all this, I truly do, but... this all just so much to take in; I'm just not used to all of this." He admitted, hoping he didn't offend them. The staff had been nothing but kind to him since arrived and making his stay as bearable had possible. Failure to do so was the last thing he wanted them to think. He tensed when he felt someone pat his head. His first instinct was an annoyance for being treated like a child, but strangely it brought him comfort.

He relaxed when he saw Violet with a grin that just radiated happiness.

"Hey no worries, we understand, we're all just ecstatic to have ya here, besides you're our guest! What kind of hosts would we be if we didn't make ya feel welcome here?"

"I have an idea." Ronin perked up. "How about we show you around the castle?"

"Really?" Kai perked up, liking the idea of an enormous castle to explore.

"Sure, even these guys it's gonna take some time to get all this clothes stuff done, and who wants to stay cooped up in here all night."

"And we did promise to show you the library," Nelson added.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Echo jumped up. "Go get dressed and let's go!"

"Thank you!" Kai smiled excitingly and rushed off to change his clothes...

* * *

Bansha swore she would lose whatever hearing she had left if she had to listen to Morro for another moment. The Duke had done nothing but scream and scrub the mud and grime from his body since his dreadful mortification at the hands of Kai's brutal rejection. Looking back, perhaps preparing an entire wedding before actually proposing wasn't such a good idea. It was such a shame that the dress would never see the sunlight again.

Though Bansha felt a small comfort knowing the seamstresses had managed to rescue and convert most of the cloth.

"How could he do this to be Bansha!? How!? How could he humiliate me!?" The Duke raved like a spoiled child who was being told 'no' for the first time. He paced back and forth furiously throughout the common room. The heels of his shoes pulled at the knitting of the carpets forming large holes. His gloved hands balled at his sides and he took heavy breathes in failed attempts to calm his raging nerves.

"Who does he think he is!?" He screeched. "That boy, doesn't he realize how lucky, how blessed he is? I would never have had to be so bold if he just got over his shyness and accepted my proposal like he was supposed to! No one says no to me!"

"Kai is a fool for rejecting you, everyone knows that," Bansha said, preparing another cup of tea for when her master's current mood swing finished. The Duke snatched the teacup from the table and clenched it so hard the fragile china almost cracked in his hands.

"Dismissed, rejected! Disgraced! Publicly humiliated!" He screeched throwing the cup into the fire watching with a dark satisfaction as it shattered into a million pieces and melted. In shock and slightly terrified, Bansha hesitated to hand her another cup.

"More tea, my lord?" She asked, trepidation seeping into her voice which made Morro smile, though Bansha couldn't see it. Whoever said it was better to be loved than feared clearly never knew the luxuries of a high-ranking position.

"No." He dismissed her request harshly. A timid knock on the door halted another howling. "Come in!" Morro demanded thundering. A servant entered the room, clearly intimidated.

"M-My lord, the e-eldest and youngest S-Smiths are here t-to see you." She stuttered.

"Did they say what for? Speak!" Morro demanded.

"They said something about Mr. Kai and that they must speak with you urgently." The servent replied and Morro smirked victoriously.

"Come Bansha! It seems Nya has finally seen the wisdom behind my request." The duke said, practically radiated arrogance as he skipped from the room, with a timid Bansha behind him. Morro practically flew down the staircase, giddy to see what Nya had to tell him, but his pride transformed to confusion once he met with the two siblings. Both were still standing on the front porch, panting as if they'd been running for hours. Their clothes were a mess and splotched with mud and their hair was a mess.

Neither of them looked as if they'd bathed or changed their clothes since they left.

"Whatever has happened to you too?" Bansha asked, clearly concerned, while Morro only looked horrified that they'd dare come see him in such a state.

"Morro!" Lloyd cried as he bolted to him before Nya could stop him. "You have to help, he-he-he has Kai! That thing has my big brother! He's got him locked in a tower or a dungeon or somewhere!" The boy blabbered his voice choked with tears and fear to speak coherently. Morro brushed him off in disgust.

"What are you talking about." The Duke snapped, though paid attention once he heard Kai's name somewhere in the babble.

"Who has Kai?" Bansha asked, placing a gentle hand on Lloyd's shoulders.

"A dragon! A cruel terrible dragon!" He announced as if the very word would bring doom. Morro and Bansha froze. Just as Morro looked as if he would burst out laughing Nya stepped in.

"It's true! While we were lost in the storm, we found his castle, he trapped us there, Kai offered to exchange himself for our freedom! He's still trapped there with that monster! We have to save him! You're the only one that can help us!" Nya exclaimed. She hated herself at that moment and for having no choice but to swallow her pride and morals and everything else her family taught her and go crawling to the one person she despised more than anything on earth.

But Kai was in danger and her pride could burn in hell if it meant Kai's freedom.

As much as she hated herself for doing so, she knew Morro's desire for Kai was the only hope they had. Morro burst out laughing.

"A dragon? I think you've finally read one too many fairy tales; now what is the real reason you're here?" The Duke laughed.

"It's the truth, Morro!" Lloyd cried in fear for his brother.

"I'm sure you're just imagining things, Kai probably just decided to follow you and got lost in the woods," Bansha reassured the boy.

"No dammit!" Nya howled, shocking everyone by the force behind her voice. "My twin brother is the prisoner of a monster who is doing God knows what to him as we speak! I would never come to you of all people if it wasn't serious Morro! Please help us rescue him!" She begged. The force and truthfulness behind Nya's voice were shocking, but Morro looked past it the second he heard the insult.

"I've heard enough of this!" The Duke thundered and snapped his fingers for his guards. "Gentlemen please, escort these two off my estate." He ordered and like toy soldiers, the two men took each of them by the arm and dragged them towards the door.

"Dammit, Morro, listen to us!" Nya roared in anger and desperation.

"Please! Helo Kai!" Lloyd cried out all the way until the guards slammed the doors in their faces. The guards then bowed to their master and left.

"I wonder what could've happened to cause such a scene." Bansha wondered aloud.

"They've gone mad! Why else would they go about screaming about dragons?" Morro snapped.

"But they sounded so scared, and it isn't like Kai to run off and cause his family such distress; he'd do anything for those two." Banshacountered. Morro snorted at the remark, determined to remain angered. Even if the Smiths were telling the truth, it was only fitting he refused them. They were, after all, the only obstacle between him and his precious Kai after all. A dark realization suddenly filled his mind, making him pause.

"My lord?" Bansha asked, noticed her master's sudden change in demeanor. A shiver froze her to the core as she caught the duke's smile.

"You're absolutely right, Bansha," Morro spoke with a dark, almost malicious laugh. "Kai would do anything for those two."...


	15. The Candle

Even at night and covered in a century's worth of dust, the Ballroom glittered with radiance. The full moon brightly illuminated the stained glass windows in a way the sunlight never could, filling the world with colored splashes of silver-like liquid opals. The dragon design on the ceiling glowed with light, giving the illusion that the dragon was flying overhead. Given the realism, Kai had to remind himself it was only glass. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as each step took him closer to the foreboding staircase.

He froze in front of the staircase, gazing up the spiraling black stairs and the veils of shadows consuming it.

He took a hesitant first step and then another until he broke into a run, refusing to look back. He refused to stop, even as the staircase spiraled and the darkness, if possible, grew darker. When he reached the top, a long corridor, illuminated only by the faint moonlight, greeted him. He hesitated as he took in the dark hallway. The design was similar to the hallways that led to the east wing, except one wall was made of clear windows and the other looked like a balcony overlooking the ballroom.

The corridor's windows were not stained glass.

Instead, they were covered by tattered curtains that must've once been red or blue at some point. Time, age, and dust had darkened the curtains to black and brown. In addition, unlike the vine-like wood carving in the rest of the manor, the pillars and railings of this balcony were made of metal. There were flowing, intricate swirls in heart-shaped interlocking patterns. The pillars carved in the shape of wingless dragons, connected by their tails and noses.

Dust caked the floors and glass, creating a heavy fog over the windows.

Shadows danced everywhere, making it too dark to even see where the corridor went. Despite that, Kai pressed onward, determined not to let anything hinder his resolve. After what felt like an eternity, he finally approached an enormous door crafted from white birch with the engraving of a stunning dragon. Tiny dark grey crystals were embedded into the wood, forming scales, glowing emeralds made the eyes, and smoothed onyx formed the claws.

The carving looked so real that Kai had to bite back a scream.

Brushing aside the last strands of fear he felt entering the Dragon Lord's quarters uninvited, Kai grabbed the large door knockers and pushed the heavy doors open. He cursed his small stature when they didn't budge. He tried again and managed to push the door open a small crack. Once it was large enough for him to fit through, he slid his slim form through the door and jumped when the door shut behind him. He turned to scan the room and his eyes widened as he was overcome by a sense of déjà vu.

Shredded tapestries, caked in dust, hung everywhere.

Broken furniture pieces scattered across the dark blue carpet. Sheets, grey from age, covered the table and chairs in the corner. Another covered an enormous wardrobe sat in the corner. The only thing that looked in prime shape was the enormous canopy bed in the corner and a blank sheet of silk hanging on the wall. Unlike the rest of the room, it was clean silver and formed a veil covering what looked like a large indent in the wall. Curiosity getting the better of him, the teen crept through the room with the stealth of a ninja.

His steps were graceful and careful, avoiding each piece of broken furniture or anything that would make a noise.

When he came to the curtain, he leaned against the wall and carefully lifted the sheet to peek inside. A glass case brushed against his fingertips, further engaging his curiosity. With a harsh pull, he pulled down the rest of the silk, kicking up clouds of dust. He covered his mouth and choked on the thick particles until they finally settled. His eyes bulged at the sight of the cloth's secret. An enormous, stunning painting. It was about as tall as Kai and the image so realistic that Kai swore he was looking at a colored photograph.

The pine border and the glass case shielded the ancient object from the air, moisture, and anything else that would try to damage it.

Stunned by the fine craftsmanship, Kai's fingers gently graced the surface of the glass, hoping to touch the object. The setting greatly resembled a throne room of some sort. Two cerulean curtains framed each side and, in the background, stood a tall, lean man of middle-age with neat black hair and grey eyes. Next to him stood a slightly shorter woman with dramatically long raven hair and brilliant green eyes dressed in dark grey. Both of them were dressed like royalty and they were holding hands.

The foreground was even more impressive.

Standing before the royal couple was a little girl about a year or two younger than Lloyd and to her right stood a teenager just a little bit older than Kai and Nya. Kai's eyes rested on each one, admiring their beauty and wondering who they must've been in life. Once his eyes fell on the teenage prince, however, his breath caught in his throat and his eyes nearly bulged out of his skill. Brilliant green eyes that looked like stunning emeralds met his amber ones.

He took a step back in shock, stumbling over a broken chair in his haste.

The black hair, elegant features, perfect posture, muscular physique, and black dragon-shaped armor looked familiar but the eyes were the true answer. Kai shakily looked up, unable to tear his gaze away from those brilliant, sharp, green eyes. They were so mysterious and powerful yet carried a secret kindness. He recognized those eyes as the same eyes that belonged to the mystery man in his dreams. He got to his feet, only to fall backward, stumbling over a jerky step, and grunted when he hit the floor.

He hissed as pain rushed up to his side and back.

His mind was dominated by confusion and uncertainty. One answer led to a thousand new questions. His heart hammered in his chest as his mind raced, torn between leaving now while he was still undiscovered or staying to learn the truth behind what he just saw. The sight of a sudden flash of faint light behind him sent his heart into his throat. His back stiffened as he froze in fear. When no sound, yells, or movement was heard, he slowly turned to look over his shoulder and blinked in surprise.

Something was glowing a dim purple in the corner on an elegant nightstand.

Ignoring his pains, he got to his feet, wondering how he missed such a sight. The dim purple light brightened even more as he approached it, illuminating the balcony and the nightstand rested on. It was only when he was close enough to touch it did he see the object was a red candle, more beautiful and bizarre than any he'd ever seen. The candle was a bright crimson red with a purple flame burning away. It was sat in a black, metal base with some strange symbols engraved into the metal.

He was certain the candle must be been much taller because the candle was only just longer than his finger.

The still melting red wax was pooling down the nightstand and onto the dusty floor. It looked like freshly spilled blood. The small purple flame seemed to grow weaker, but it was still strong enough to burn. It was the most beautiful thing Kai had ever seen. A small click caught Kai's attention, and his eyes widened as the symbols engraved into the metal bottom holding the candle started to glow, and out of nowhere music started to play. The music flooded the room.

Enthralled by the object, Kai's hands moved independently of his mind to carefully cup the lovely object in his palms.

The melting wax was warm but for some reason, it didn't hurt him. His eyes remained transfixed on the flame as it flickered and danced. Music filled his ears, echoing around him like it did in his dreams. His body and mind were no longer his, spellbound by the object for reasons he didn't understand. His eyes closed as he absorbed the music. The image of roses curled at his feet, black wings surrounded him, a glittering castle formed on the edge of the hillside as words started to play.

Music and words flowed through his mind, soothing his heart.

Each word echoed in the air like the fluttering of wings. So familiar yet he couldn't quite put his finger on it. The melody curved and arched like a graceful bird rising higher and higher into the air, then fell like the rise and fall of the sea in a timeless rhythm. Suddenly, Kai's eyes flashed open. Realization struck him like a slap across the face, returning him to reality, and more unanswered questions flooded his mind. The song, the words, and the images all spiraled together until the world seemed to fall apart.

He suddenly felt hollow, as if he'd suddenly awoken only to discover everything he ever thought was real was nothing more than a dream.

The dream, the song, the music. Now he knew where he had heard it before. They were the words to his poem. The song was the same song his prince sang to him in his dreams. His entire world suddenly froze. He didn't remember the loud sound of wings behind him or feel the candle slip from his trembling hands. He was suddenly thrown back to reality by a brutally sharp pound to his side, sending him flying across the room and crashing against the floor of the room.

Pain exploded from his side and he was unable to stop the scream that ripped from his throat.

He opened his mouth to glare and yell at his assailant, but froze instead. The Dragon Lord flew across the room, his wings expanding like a shield as he threw himself to his knees, panting in shock. His eyes were fixed on the candle he cradled in his hands which he held with tenderness and care. Fear and terror were vivid in his eyes and he painstakingly checked the red candle for any damage. Once he was satisfied, he exhaled a sigh of relief as the symbols stopped glowing, silencing its song.

Gently, he placed it back on its table. Kai hesitantly got to his feet.

He tried to move, only to be paralyzed when the Lord turned his attention to him. Every ounce of affection Kai had seen earlier in the Dragon Lord's face transformed into hate and malice. A growl tore itself from its throat, his fangs perturbed from his lips like a snarling beast and his eyes burned with anger. They were no longer the brilliant green orbs of a human or the silted pupils of a dragon he'd grown used to. No, anger had changed them, transformed them into the eyes of a ferocious beast.

Kai's entire demeanor shattered at the sight.

He backed himself against the wall and his hands flew behind him as if trying to push it back, anything to get as far away from the dragon before him. Tremor racked his entire body and, for the first time since he arrived at the castle, Kai truly feared for his life.

"You." The dragon hybrid said with a voice that was all breath and venom, so full of rage that he couldn't form a complete sentence. The teen before him opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. Kai's voice died in his throat and he remained a prisoner in his own body.

"Do. You. Have. Any. Idea. WHAT YOU ALMOST DID?" The Dragon Lord roared so loud Kai was certain people from the town could hear it. He started moving towards the teen and Kai tried to move back, only to sink deeper into the wall.

"I-I-I'm sorry! I didn't—"

"Get out." The dragon demanded in a dangerously low voice.

"What?" Kai asked without thinking and instantly regretted it.

"GET OUT!" The Dragon Lord exploded. His claws suddenly expanded and bolts of gold energy exploded from his claws, striking random places throughout the room, hitting furniture, the walls, and the floor, leaving only black scorch marks in their wake. Kai screamed. Gold, lava-like energy exploded before his very eyes. Focused purely on his own safety, his body sprang from its position on the wall. He barely dodged the blast of energy that struck the wall and he broke into a sprint.

Almost instantly, Cole calmed down, then fell into despair, finally realizing that he may have destroyed his chance with Kai.

The brunette reached the stairway and grabbed his cloak. He rushed down the stairs, wrapping the cloak around him and bursting past a confused Jay and Ronin.

"Wh- Where are you going?" Jay asked.

"Promise or no promise, I can't stay here another minute!" Kai snarled, but the terror was clear in his eyes.

"Oh no, wait, please! Please wait!" Ronin pleaded, but Kai slammed the door behind him. Jay and Ronin both bow their heads in sadness. Outside, Kai bolted from the doors to the castle and leaped through the gates without thinking. He didn't care where he was running or noticed the unfamiliar woods flying past him as he ran. His mind forced his body to obey, focused on one thing and one thing only. Getting as far away from the Dragon Lord as he possibly could.

Not once did he look back...

* * *

Kai didn't stop running until exhaustion finally caught up with his body and his knees gave away beneath him. He crashed to the ground with only his shaky arms to hold him up. His lungs exploded from lack of air and his breathing was in heavy pants. His heart thundered against his ribs, causing pains in his chest as he tried desperately to breathe. Finally, he leaned against a tree and collapsed. Once he calmed down, his situation and what his actions had caused came flooding back to him.

His eyes bulged and his breath hitched as the memory hit him with the force of a tidal wave.

His hands wove into his hair and yanked the tresses as he buried his face in his knees. How could he have been so stupid? He growled in frustration and punched the ground next to him. Sighing in defeat, he forced himself to his feet and braced against a tree until his body had recovered enough for him to walk and started back towards the castle. The direction he was headed confused him. He knew he should be terrified. He knew he should be looking for a way back to town, back home to his siblings, instead of prison and a possible death sentence.

But oddly, he didn't feel like he was returning to that prison or an apology, just the opposite actually.

He mentally kicked himself and pounded his skull with his fists for letting his curiosity get the better of him. Had he learned nothing from all of the times he had been grounded or punished for sneaking off and getting into things he shouldn't? All the servants had told him straight out what was in the West Wing and that Cole didn't like anyone in his private chamber. Of course, the Dragon Lord would be furious at him for invading his privacy like that!

If their roles were reversed and Cole had entered his room when he wasn't there, he'd have been pretty pissed too.

Nya had given him a black eye once for sneaking into her room and going through her stuff once. He also dropped the candle, obviously something of great importance to the Dragon Lord. Kai buried his face in his hands. He may have just damaged his and Cole's relationship beyond repair because he couldn't control his pride and childish curiosity. Cole's chilling words echoed in his mind once again. He knew there was no way he was getting off with just a smack on the wrist this time.

Cole would not hurt him, but Kai would no doubt be locked in the tower for this, or at the very least he'd get a slap.

He took a breath and sighed as a harsh gust of wind suddenly chilling him right to the bone, reminding him where he was. He looked down at his attire. Silk and leather were clearly not the best clothing for the approaching winter. But that was the least of his problems. He sighed and started down the path towards the castle. He made a severe mistake so he was going to do this with dignity and accept his punishment like a man, and, if he had to, he would beg Cole's forgiveness.

Kai was not letting this end before it even had a chance to start.

 _"My, my, how very noble of you."_ Something suddenly hissed. Kai froze in mid-step. He swore he'd felt his heart stop beating at the sound of a stranger's voice. It sounded cultured and refined, but too cruel to be considered polite.

"Who's there?" Kai demanded as he whirled around, meeting only with the wind. A sudden dread chilled him to the bone followed by a low chuckle, rich with amusement. Kai bolted around again, and this time, someone emerged from the darkness of the forest. Red robes draped the figure from head to toe, making his face all but invisible. His eyes were hidden beneath his hood but wisps of black hair peeked out from beneath it.

"Who are you?!" He demanded again with more bravado. The figure swooped as if to vanish, only to reappear in front of him and shove him hard against a tree, knocking the wind from his lungs. Kai thrashed but the figure grabbed his wrists and pinned them at his sides.

 _"My, my, feisty little thing aren't you?"_ The stranger laughed in amusement, a lecherous smile curled across his face. _"I can certainly see why Cole's taken such an interest in you."_ He teased, richly amused as if entertaining a child. Kai shivered at the perverted tone in the man's voice and pulled at his wrists again but the figure's grip was like iron.

"Get off me! Let go!" He thundered, showing no fear.

 _"Ah, so you do have some fight still in you."_ His smile widened to a smirk like a predator who knew it had its prey cornered. _"That is good, very good, it's such a shame Cole wasn't strong enough to just take you when he had the chance."_ He said as a wicked gleam filled the man's eyes and Kai shivered in horror, recognizing that look. It was the same lust he saw in Morro's eyes every time he looked at him. _"You'll make a lovely consort."_ The figure smirked, leaning forward to claim those fiery lips as his own.

"Over my dead body!" Kai protested furiously. Before the man could respond, Kai kneed the man in the stomach. The stranger howled in pain and freed Kai's wrists in surprise. Taking advantage of his sudden freedom, Kai elbowed his assailant in the back then gave him a roundabout kick to the side, sending the man crashing into a tree. When the figure fell to the ground, Kai broke into a run and sprinted as fast as he could away from the stranger.

He prayed for all he was worth that he was going in the right direction.

 _"Fiery little devil."_ The stranger groaned as he pulled himself to his feet. Under different circumstances, he'd be furious at the boy for such vulgar treatment but instead found himself amused and intrigued. _"A beautiful desert rose with some fire."_ He chuckled. Cole always did like exotic gems. He chuckled darkly at that thought. Unfortunately, it seemed the Dragon Lord's contamination was already running too deep. _"Such a shame, such a lovely specimen deserves far better than to suffer the fate that befalls the Dragon Lord's love, if he'd only chosen me, he would've made a delightful bed mate, so beautiful, his fire in my bed, what a waste."_ He growled at his misfortune, before chanting a dark spell.

The wind howled and the ground shook as the spell took form and the shadows spiraled together in summoning.

Black and sticky green tresses spiraled together, revealing a monstrous creature crafted of shadows. Its jaws snapped with hunger and dripped with saliva. Its master smirked at his accomplishment.

 _"Go and kill the boy."_ He ordered. The creature didn't need to be told twice and, with a powerful leap, jumped over its master and darted after its prey. _"It really is so unfortunate such a beautiful creature such as yourself had to die, but I can't possibly have Cole thinking you love him, can I? That would just ruin everything!"_ He laughed to himself like a mad man. His laughter echoed throughout the forest like a swarm of scavenging ravens taking flight...


End file.
